Dietary iron intake and prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among women of childbearing age in Adjumani refugee settlement
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Date
2024-09-01
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Gulu University
Abstract
Anemia is a big threat to global population of women of childbearing age (WCBA). Factors such as malnutrition, infections, and poor sanitation are identified as the main contributors to high prevalence of anemia in this age category. However, information about the contribution of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) to general anemia prevalence remains unknown especially in a refugee settlement where iron intake is compromised by many factors. This study investigated: (i) dietary iron intake; (ii) contribution of iron deficiency to anemia prevalence and (iii) socio-economic and dietary factors influencing serum iron status of 462 WCBA in Adjumani refugee settlement using cross-sectional survey. IDA was determined by analyzing serum ferritin using Human Ferritin ELISA kit (Bio-techne company, United Kingdom), following standard procedure and manual from the manufacturer. According to the results, the dietary iron intake of the study sample was not significantly different (p≤0.05) from recommended daily intake (RDI) of iron except for the intake of the study samples from Pagirinya refugee settlement which was lower than RDI (p≤0.05) and mainly from plant sources. Engagement in income generating activities (IGAs) especially farming and fishing resulted in a significant increase in iron intake (p≤0.05). The prevalence of anemia in the sample was 34.42% with mean hemoglobin concentration of 10.25g/dL but the prevalence varied among the different settlements studied. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) accounted for 37% of anemia among those who were found to be anemic after the initial screening. Overall, there was a significant impact of IGAs, education, and monthly income on serum iron status of women (p < 0.05). This study has demonstrated that the intake of iron among refugee women was primarily from starchy plant-based food sources but was generally not significantly different from recommended intake except for inter-settlement variations. Despite meeting the recommended iron intake, iron deficiency is still persistent, and the level of anemia is high among refugee women of childbearing ages, suggesting poor quality of dietary iron sources. Therefore, consumption of a mix of animal-based and iron rich-plant food sources among women of childbearing age in Adjumani refugee settlement should be encouraged. The promotion of nutrition interventions could also consider diversifying the economic activities of women in the refugee context to improve the impact.
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Keywords
Adjumani refugee settlements, Anemia, Dietary iron intake, Iron deficiency anemia, serum ferritin