Prevalence and factors associated with anemia among children under five years of age in Rombo district, Kilimanjaro region, Northern Tanzania

Background: Anemia is a severe public health problem affecting more than half of children under five years of age in low-, middle- and high-income countries. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anemia among children under five years of age in northern Tanzania. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Rombo district, Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania, in April 2016. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a total of 602 consenting mothers and their children aged 6-59 months and interviewed using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Stata version 15.1. We used generalized linear models (binomial family and logit link function) with a robust variance estimator to determine factors associated with anemia. Results: Prevalence of anemia was 37.9%, and it was significantly higher among children aged 6-23 months (48.3%) compared to those aged 24-59 months (28.5%). There were no significant differences in anemia prevalence by sex of the child. Adjusted for other factors, children aged 6-23 months had over two times higher odds of being anemic (OR=2.47, 95% CI 1.73, 3.53, p<0.001) compared to those aged 24-59 months. No significant association was found between maternal and nutritional characteristics with anemia among children in this study. Conclusion: Prevalence of anemia was lower than the national and regional estimates, and it still constitutes a significant public health problem, especially among children aged 6-23 months. The study recommends iron supplementation, food fortification, dietary diversification, and management of childhood illnesses interventions for mothers and children under two years.