Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015:2015:479329.
doi: 10.1155/2015/479329. Epub 2015 Mar 24.

Magnitude of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pediatric HIV/AIDS Patients Attending Zewditu Memorial Hospital ART Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hylemariam Mihiretie  1 , Bineyam Taye  2 , Aster Tsegaye  2
Affiliations

Magnitude of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pediatric HIV/AIDS Patients Attending Zewditu Memorial Hospital ART Clinic, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hylemariam Mihiretie et al. Anemia. 2015.

Abstract

Background. Anemia is one of the most commonly observed hematological abnormalities and an independent prognostic marker of HIV disease. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of anemia and associated factors among pediatric HIV/AIDS patients attending Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH) ART Clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among pediatric HIV/AIDS patients of Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH) between August 05, 2013, and November 25, 2013. A total of 180 children were selected consecutively. Stool specimen was collected and processed. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and associated risk factors. Data were entered into EpiData 3.1.1. and were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Logistic regressions were applied to assess any association between explanatory factors and outcome variables. Results. The total prevalence of anemia was 22.2% where 21 (52.5%), 17 (42.5%), and 2 (5.0%) patients had mild, moderate, and severe anemia. There was a significant increase in severity and prevalence of anemia in those with CD4+ T cell counts below 350 cells/μL (P < 0.05). Having intestinal parasitic infections (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI, 1.1-7.2), having lower CD4+ T cell count (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI, 1.6-9.4), and being HAART naïve (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI, 1.6-9.4) were identified as significant predictors of anemia. Conclusion. Anemia was more prevalent and severe in patients with low CD4+ T cell counts, patients infected with intestinal parasites/helminthes, and HAART naïve patients. Therefore, public health measures and regular follow-up are necessary to prevent anemia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of anemia status by level of immunosuppression in Zewditu Memorial Hospital, from August 5, 2013, to November 25, 2013, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Owiredu W. K. B. A., Quaye L., Amidu N., Addai-Mensah O. Prevalence of anaemia and immunological markers among Ghanaian HAART-naïve HIV-patients and those on HAART. African Health Sciences. 2011;11(1):2–15. - PMC - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Worldwide Prevalence of Anemia 1993–2005. WHO; 2008.
    1. Harris R. J., Sterne J. A. C., Abgrall S., et al. Prognostic importance of anaemia in HIV type-1-infected patients starting antiretroviral therapy: collaborative analysis of prospective cohort studies. Antiviral Therapy. 2008;13(8):959–967. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ifudu O. Maximizing response to erythropoietin in treating HIV-associated anemia. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2001;68(7):643–648. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.68.7.643. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Miller M. F., Humphrey J. H., Iliff P. J., et al. Neonatal erythropoiesis and subsequent anemia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Zimbabwean babies during the first year of life: a longitudinal study. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2006;6, article 1 doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-6-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources