Iron deficiency anemia in pediatric children at Kalmunai North Base Hospital, Sri Lanka

Abstract

<b>Objective:</b> This study's aim was to estimate association between the iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and associated risk factors among children at Kalmunai north in Sri Lanka during COVID-19. <b>Material and Methods: </b>During the pandemic, 101 children aged between 1and 14 years were involved in the cross sectional study. Hemoglobin levels, serum ferritin and C-recactive protein (CRP) were measured to determine anemia. Additionally, dietary intake, socioeconomic status, and demographic information were collected through interviews with the caregivers. Chi-square tests and Pearson correlation were used to investigate connections between IDA and other factors such as demographic characteristics and eating habits. In addition, a multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of IDA. <b>Results:</b> 7.9% of children were found to be anemic at Kalmunai Base Hospital. Low dietary iron consumption was revealed as a significant risk factor for IDA. Meat, liver, fish, chicken, fresh milk, dark green leafy vegetables, and black tea were found to be independent predictors of IDA, explaining 57.7% of the variation in IDA frequency (R² value = 57.7%; P&lt; 0.001). Consuming dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, liver, beef, and fish are linked to a lower incidence of IDA in children. On the other hand, a higher risk of IDA appears to be associated with increased consumption of fresh milk and black tea. In conclusion, this study focuses on Dietary factors, especially the consumption of particular foods, were found to be significant contributors of IDA, even if demographic parameters did not differ significantly from IDA. Strategies to increase iron intake and dietary diversity, particularly among young children, are critical in the fight against IDA.