Cadernos de Saúde Pública (Sep 2023)

Factors associated with anemia and vitamin A deficiency in Brazilian children under 5 years old: Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition (ENANI-2019)

  • Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro,
  • Paula Normando,
  • Dayana Rodrigues Farias,
  • Talita Lelis Berti,
  • Raquel Machado Schincaglia,
  • Pedro Gomes Andrade,
  • Neilane Bertoni,
  • Elisa Maria de Aquino Lacerda,
  • Luiz Antonio dos Anjos,
  • Cristiano Siqueira Boccolini,
  • Marta Citelli dos Reis,
  • Flávia Fioruci Bezerra,
  • Lucia Fatima Campos Pedrosa,
  • Alceu Afonso Jordão Junior,
  • Pedro Israel Cabral de Lira,
  • Gilberto Kac,
  • Letícia B. Vertulli Carneiro,
  • Nadya Helena Alves-Santos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311xen194922
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 39, no. suppl 2

Abstract

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Abstract: Factors associated with anemia and vitamin A deficiency were investigated in 7,716 children 6-59 months of age studied in the Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition (ENANI-2019). We adopted a hierarchical approach based on a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) theoretical model with three levels, stratifying by age (6-23; 24-59 months). Prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were estimated. Enabling determinants: a higher prevalence of anemia was observed in children 6-23 months whose mothers had ≤ 7 years of schooling (PR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.10; 3.34), < 20 years old (PR = 2.47; 95%CI: 1.34; 4.56) or 20-30 years old (PR = 1.95; 95%CI: 1.11; 3.44), mixed-race (PR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.06; 2.23); and in children 24-59 months in the North Region (PR = 3.11; 95%CI: 1.58; 6.13). A higher prevalence for vitamin A deficiency was observed in children 6-23 months from Central-West (PR = 2.32; 95%CI: 1.33; 4.05), and in children 24-59 months living in the North (PR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.16; 3.30), South (PR = 3.07; 95%CI: 1.89; 5.01), and Central-West (PR = 1.91; 95%CI: 1.12; 3.25) and whose mothers were 20-34 years (PR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.11; 2.35). Underlying determinants: the presence of more than one child < 5 years old in the household was associated with a higher prevalence of anemia (PR = 1.61; 95%CI: 1.15; 2.25) and vitamin A deficiency (PR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.09; 3.05) in children 6-23 months. Immediate determinants: consumption of 1-2 groups of ultra-processed foods in children 24-59 months (PR = 0.44; 95%CI: 0.25; 0.81) and lack of breastfeeding in the day before in children 6-23 months (PR = 0.56; 95%CI: 0.36; 0.95) were associated with lower prevalence of anemia and vitamin A deficiency. Public policies focused on geographically and socially vulnerable groups are needed to promote equity.

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