Abstract:
Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is still a global public health concern that affects people of all
ages. However, its frequency in pediatric groups is particularly a concern, given the potential
forlong-term developmental and health effects. This study aimed to examine the associations
between various demographic characteristics and IDA in children in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka. A
cross-sectional study was conducted with 101 (according to the sample size calculator) children
hospitalized at the Base Hospital Kalmunai North, Sri Lanka. The ethical approval for this study
was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern
University of Sri Lanka. A 5 ml blood sample was collected from each child to measure the CRP, Hemoglobin and serum ferritin. Hemoglobin level was used to measure the presence of IDA,
and demographic factors such as age, gender, dwelling sector, mother's educational
attainment, number of children in the household, birth interval, and monthly income were
examined in connection with the presence of IDA. The associations between IDA and
demographic characters were evaluated for significance using the Chi-square test. The total
prevalence of IDA among thestudy sample was close to 8%. According to the data, there were
no occurrences of IDA in the 10-14 age group of children and they had the highest mean
hemoglobin levels (12.79 ± 0.9 g/dl).There was no significant difference in the frequency of IDA
between male and female children. Compared to children in rural areas (11.8%), the
prevalence of IDA among urban children was marginally lower (4.0%). The lowest prevalence of
IDA (4.5%) was seen among children whose mothers have greater levels of education. The
lowest prevalence of IDA was found in families with one kid (2.3%). The prevalence of IDA was
significantly higher (at 50%) among children in families where childbirth interval was 1 year
compared to those with longer intervals. Children from families with an income of less than
20,000 rupees per month were more likely to have IDA (15.6%) than those are from families
with higher income levels. In summary, this research indicates that multiple demographic
variables could impact the frequency of IDA among children. The results highlighted the
significance of identifying susceptible individuals. It can be recommended to implement
measures to treat iron deficiency anemia, particularly among children from low- income
families with more children and shorter birth intervals.
