Abstract:
Background: Worldwide Anemia is a common health problem, as well as around two billion
people, were to suffer from anemia. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls is
mild to moderate public health problem. Unfortunately, because initiatives to prevent anemia
commonly target infants, children, pregnant, and lactating women, but adolescents may remain
unmet and the consequences of anemia in adolescents continued. Besides, there are a few studies
done on anemia among high school adolescents in Ethiopia, and no documented study is found in
the study area.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among adolescent girls
attending high school in Mizan AmanTown, Bench Sheko Zone, South west Ethiopia.
Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed among randomly
selected 281 high school adolescent girls in Mizan-Aman Town from March 08 to 19, 2020.
Structured and pretested questionnaires were used to collect the data.Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 24 for further analysis. On bivariate analysis
p,≤0.25 were considered as candidates for multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable logistic
regression was done to control for confounders and to identify factors independently associated with
anemia. The level of statistical significance was declared at P < 0.05.
Results: A total of 281 adolescents were involved in this study with a response rate of 93.7%.The
prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls was 23.5% with (95%CI: 18.9, 28.8).This study
identified important Factors associated with anemia among adolescent girl in the study area were
Father education (AOR=1.27;95%CI:0.67,5.70;P=0.0014),family size(AOR=3.23;95%CI:1.13,5.
78;p=0.012),wealth index(AOR=6.00;95%CI:2.31,15.7;p=<0.001),duration of menstruation
(AOR=2.63;95%CI: 1.03, 6.67;p=0.043)and dietary diversity score (AOR=2.13;95% CI:1.16,
8.43;p=0.024).
Conclusion: Prevalence of anemia among school adolescent girls was moderate public health
problem. Father education, family size, lower wealth index, duration of menstruation and low
dietary diversity score were independent significant predictors of anemia. Therefore, iron-rich food,
nutritional education, and diversified food consumptions should be given attention to reducing the
burden of anemia
