You are here

Article Text

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

Abstracts of Poster and e-Poster Presentations
PA-264 Age and locality are among the risk factors contributing to high prevalence of anemia in the Bata district of Equatorial Guinea
Free
  1. Gertrudis Ribado Meñé1,2,3,4,
  2. Maxmillian Gedeon Mpina4,5,6,7,
  3. Alejandro Lopelo Bolopá4,5,
  4. Elizabeth Lucas Nyakarungu4,5,6,
  5. José Raso Bijeri4,5,
  6. Antonio Martin Elo Elo8,
  7. Florentino Abaga Ondo Ndoho8,
  8. Guillermo A García5,
  9. Wonder P Phiri5,
  10. Ali Mohamed Ali6,
  11. Jean Claude Dejon-Agobé3,
  12. Ayola Akim Adegnika3,9,
  13. Salim Mohamed Abdulla6
  1. 1Universidad Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, Guinea Ecuatorial
  2. 2École doctorale régionale d’Afrique centrale en infectiologie tropicale, Gabón
  3. 3Centre de recherche médicale de Lambaréné, Gabón
  4. 4Laboratorio de investigaciones de Baney, Guinea Ecuatorial
  5. 5Medical Care Development Global Health, USA
  6. 6Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania
  7. 7Swiss Tropical and Public health Institute, Switzerland
  8. 8Ministerio de Sanidad y bienestar social, Guinea Ecuatorial
  9. 9Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen and German Center for Infection Research, Germany

Abstract

Background Anemia is a serious global health problem particularly in malaria and Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) co-endemic areas, where those parasitic infections can influence the anemia severity. The present analysis aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of anemia in malaria and STH co-endemic areas.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey between October 2020 and January 2021 in the Bata district. Venous blood was collected for hemoglobin levels assessment using the HemoCue Hb201. Anemia was defined based on the WHO threshold. Plasmodium infection was diagnosed using the microscopy technique and the Kato-Katz technique was used for STH egg identification in stool samples. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with anemia.

Results A total of 339 participants were included in this analysis, with a mean age of 24.4 (SD=23.7) and 64 (19%) aged less than 5 years. A total of 187 (55%) participants were female, while 119 (35.1%) and 79 (23.3%) of them lived in peri-urban and rural areas, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was 77% (95%CI: 72 – 82). Among the anemic population, severe anemia represents 6% (17/262), while moderate and mild anemia represents 60% (157/262) and 34% (88/262), respectively. Anemia was associated with age (p<0.001) and locality (p=0.03). Compared to participants aged 1–5 years, those aged 6–14 years (aOR=0.39; 95%CI: 0.14 – 0.95, p-value=0.048) and those aged more than 14 years (aOR=0.18; 95%CI: 0.06 – 0.41, p-value<0.001) had a lower odd of anemia. Compared to urban areas, peri-urban areas had a high odd of anemia (aOR:1.15; 95%CI:1.24 – 4.87, p-value=0.01).

Conclusion Anemia prevalence is high in the Bata district calling for more research on the determinants of the disease in the country. Our results indicate old age and peri-urban areas as the main factors associated with anemia in the Bata district.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-EDC.134

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.