Relationships between socio-demographic, dietary, and WASH factors and anemia
malaria, Anemia, anemia
MALARIA, ANEMIA, ANEMIA, REGRESSION, REGRESSION, SEVERE ANEMIA
Anemia was related to several socio-demographic and health variables, as well as some factors related to water and sanitation (Table Regression of sociodemographic, food groups and WASH variables on anemia status among adolescents taking part in SAMIA trial, 2021-2022Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals are derived from logistic regression (binary anemia outcomes) and linear regression (continuous hemoglobin) models. Adjusted models control for sex, age, wealth, BMI, malaria, and stunting. *Adolescents who were stunted were found to have higher odds of any anemia (OR-1.38; 95% CI: 1.06,1.81) and moderate severe anemia (aOR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.05,2.02) while their level of hemoglobin were lower only in the adjusted model (b=-0.44; CI: -0.74-0.15). Similarly, adolescents who were underweight had higher odds of moderate/severe anemia in both crude and adjusted models (aOR = 0.58; CI: 0.32–0.95) compared to adolescents who had normal weight. There was no difference between those who were overweight/obese and those who had normal weight.Adolescents who consumed more beverages had lower odds of any anemia (aOR = 0.74; CI: 0.56–0.98), moderate/severe (aOR = 0.65; CI: 0.46–0.91) as well as lower levels of hemoglobin (b = 0.27; CI: 0.07–0.46); however this relationship loses significance after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Among different foods, those who consumed liver had lower odds of moderate/severe anemia (aOR = 0.71; CI: 0.54–0.94) compared to those who didn’t.On investigating WASH variables, adolescents who reported treating their drinking water by adding bleach/chlorine had lower odds of anemia (aOR = 0.68; CI: 0.48–0.96) compared to those who boiled. No difference was observed among those who reported not treating their water vs. those who boiled. Those who shared toilet facility had higher odds of moderate/severe anemia (aOR = 1.57; CI:1.01–2.42) and lower levels of hemoglobin (b = 00.27; CI: -0.53 - -0.01) in both crude and adjusted models compared to those who didn’t share.Adolescent girls who had experienced menarche had higher odds of moderate/severe anemia than those who had not in the crude model (aOR = 1.36; CI:1.00-1.84) however the relationship was not significant in the adjusted model (