Anemia and associated factors among adolescent girl attending high school in Mizan Aman Town, Bench Sheko Zone South West Ethiopia,2020

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