Fatores associados à prevalência de anemia em crianças menores de cinco anos do estado de Alagoas, Brasil.

Abstract

This work was based on a study of the epidemiological anemia and its importance as a public health problem in Brazil, particularly in Alagoas and it was inspired and drafted from the submission of two articles. The first, for review, aimed to systematize the results of studies published in Brazilian children in the last 10 years in order to provide estimates of prevalence at the different scenarios where they were made: nursery schools (ESC), health services (SAU), stocks inequities (INI) and population-based studies (POP). The results of the 35 selected articles are presented like: prevalence weighted average (range); ratio of chances, and POPs data as reference (at a confidence interval of 95%) were ESC: 52.0% (35.0 to 68.8%), 1.21 (1.11 - 1.33), SAU: 64.5% (55.1 to 89.1%), 2.19 (1.90-2.53), INI: 66.2% (47.5 to 96.4%), 2.03 (1.87-2.21) and POP: 47.2% (22.2 to 55.6%), P <0.0001 for all comparisons (&#967;2). Attention was called to the fact that the prevalence observed among INI was that found at SAU, both significantly higher than observed in the POP studies, lower medium prevalence, (p <0.05). The medium prevalence measured in the context of ESC, although small than the SAU, was significantly above in relation to those verified in the studies of a wider population (p <0.05), suggesting that the professionals of such areas need to implement strategies to reduce the problem. From these data, it was concluded that anemia continues to represent a serious public health problem in this country. The second article was based on the results of a research conducted in the state of Alagoas, named Prevalence and factors associated with anemia in children of the state of Alagoas, Brazil, which was compiled from data obtained in the context of a project entitled "Diagnosis of the mother and children health in the state of Alagoas." It tried to find out the prevalence and risk factors relating to anemia in the children of Alagoas. It consisted of a transversal study with probabilistic sample of children from 6 to 60 months years old of the state. Through household survey, demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric and morbidity information was colleted. The prevalence of anemia was 45.0%. The level of Hb was correlated with age (r = 0.44, P <0.01). The prevalence was higher in the group of 6 to 12 months (75.2%, OR = 13.9, 95% CI = 6.5-27.9). Multivariate analysis identified the following variables associated to anemia: children's age &#8804; 36 months (P = 0.012), diarrhoea in the last 15 days (P = 0.011), no supplementation of retinol (P = 0.027), residences with five or more people (P = 0.032) and lower maternal height (P = 0.044). The prevalence of anemia showed that its magnitude characterizes an important public health problem. Not only the poor socioeconomic conditions explain these results, but also the deficiency in health care, characteristics that should guide public policies for the prevention and control.