Household and individual risk factors of anaemia among under-5 children in Lesotho

BACKGROUND: Anaemia among under-5 children is a major public health issue worldwide. Some countries with a high prevalence of anaemia also have high prevalence of malaria. Even though Lesotho does not have a high prevalence of malaria, its prevalence rate of anaemia is as high. According to the 2014 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the prevalence of anaemia among children under-5 was 51%. Other factors could be influencing the prevalence of anaemia in Lesotho. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the household and individual risk factors of anaemia among children under-5 in Lesotho. METHODS: Data from the 2014 Lesotho DHS which included 924 children under-5 years were analysed. Descriptive statistics, chi-square cross-tabulations and ordered logistic regression models were run using Stata v15. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent (21%) of children under-5 had mild anaemia while 7% had severe-moderate anaemia. Children residing in households cooking with biogas (aOR=4.88, CI: 1.28–18.58) and those living in households that cook with biomass (aOR=4.22, CI: 1.40–12.67) had higher odds of severe-moderate anaemia. CONCLUSION: Using solid fuels for cooking increases the vulnerability of children under-5 developing anaemia. Therefore, knowledge of renewable energy resources should be increased. This will help reduce levels of anaemia among under-5 children in Lesotho.