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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Jun;24(8):2171-2184.
doi: 10.1017/S1368980019005287. Epub 2020 May 13.

Prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian children in different epidemiological scenarios: an updated meta-analysis

Haroldo S Ferreira  1 , Regina Coeli S Vieira  2 , Aline Roberta S Livramento  1 , Bruna Larine Lfs Dourado  1 , Girlliany Fa Silva  1 , Monique Suiane C Calheiros  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian children in different epidemiological scenarios: an updated meta-analysis

Haroldo S Ferreira et al. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To update the estimation of the prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian children according to four different epidemiological scenarios.

Design: A new systematic review was conducted with a meta-analysis of the results published between 2007 and May 2019. Literature search was carried out in the PubMed and LILACS databases using keywords anaemia, child and Brazil. A total of thirty-seven articles (17 741 children) were selected and categorised according to the origin of their respective samples: childcare centres (Childcare; n 13 studies/2697 individuals), health services (Services; n 4/755), populations with social inequities (Inequities, n 7/6798) and population-based studies (Populations; n 13/7491). Assuming a prevalence of 20·9 % as reference (Health National Survey; n 3455), the combined prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated. A random-effects model was used.

Participants: Brazilian children 6-60 months of age.

Results: The prevalence of anaemia, by scenario, was: Childcare 24·8 % (PR 1·06; 95 % CI 0·81, 1·40); Services 39·9 % (PR 1·76, 95 % CI 1·33, 2·35); Inequities 51·6 % (PR 2·02, 95 % CI 1·87, 2·18); and Populations 35·8 % (PR 1·42, 95 % CI 1·23, 1·64). Therefore, the values were all higher than the national prevalence; the Inequities had the highest prevalence, and only Childcare did not reach statistical significance. Concerning the previous meta-analysis, there was a reduction in anaemia prevalence in all scenarios: -52·3, -33·7, -22·4 and -10·7 %, respectively.

Conclusions: Compared to the situation revealed in the previous meta-analysis, anaemia, although observed to a lesser extent, remains an important public health problem in the different scenarios analysed, especially for children living in Inequities. Access to Childcare mitigates the risk for this condition.

Keywords: Anaemia; Brazil; Child; Health status disparities; Infant; Preschool; Social determinants of health.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of literature screening
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot with prevalence rates (PR) of anaemia in children (<60 months of age) and 95 % CIa according to studies conducted in different epidemiological scenarios (childcare centres, health services, populations with social iniquities and general populations) in the Brazilian territory, 2007–19, compared with the results of the National Survey of Demography and Health(5)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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