Table 3.
Distribution of possible aetiological and confounding factors of anaemia among cases and community controls
| Variable | Study groups | Total | p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | Controls | ||||
| Undernutrition | |||||
| Underweight (WAZ < −2)1 | 197/443 (44%) | 32/284 (11%) | 229/727 (31%) | <0.00012 | |
| Wasted (WHZ < −2)1 | 134/446 (31%) | 18/280 (6%) | 152/716 (21%) | <0.00012 | |
| Stunted (HAZ < −2)1 | 141/436 (32%) | 35/284 (12%) | 176/720 (24%) | <0.00012 | |
| Albumin deficiency1 | 175/432 (41%) | 11/282 (4%) | 186/714 (26%) | <0.00012 | |
| Prealbumin deficiency1 | 389/430 (90%) | 97/280 (35%) | 486/710 (68%) | <0.00012 | |
| Iron deficiency1 | 263/381 (69%) | 111/260 (43%) | 374/715 (58%) | <0.00012 | |
| Folate deficiency1 | 0/381 (0%) | 0/255 (0%) | 0/636 (0%) | ||
| Vitamin A deficiency1 | 301/434 (69%) | 79/283 (28%) | 380/717 (53%) | <0.00012 | |
| Vitamin B12 deficiency1 | 68/413 (16%) | 53/269 (20%) | 121 (18%) | 0.27942 | |
| Viral infections | |||||
| HIV1 | Negative | 297/443 (67%) | 266/289 (92%) | 563 (77%) | <0.00012 |
| Positive | 93/443 (21%) | 6/443 (2%) | 99 (14%) | ||
| Indeterminate | 4/443 (1%) | 0/443 (0%) | 4 (1%) | ||
| Not done | 49/443 (11%) | 17/443 (6%) | 66 (9%) | ||
| Parvovirus B19 infection1 | 26/436 (6%) | 6/287 (2%) | 32/730 (4%) | 0.01492 | |
| EBV infection1 | 117/441 (27%) | 39/286 (14%) | 156/727 (21%) | <0.00012 | |
| Bacteraemia1 | 34/433 (8%)4 | 3/286 (1%)5 | 37/719 (5%) | 0.00012 | |
| Parasitic infections | |||||
| Plasmodium falciparum 1 | 179/428 (42%) | 21/287 (7%) | 200/715 (28%) | <0.00012 | |
| Hyperparasitemic Pf. 1 | 34/428 (8%) | 0/287 (0%) | 34/715 (5%) | <0.00012 | |
| Submicroscopic Pf. 1 | 37/322 (11%) | 12/284 (4%) | 49/666 (8%) | 0.00112 | |
| Clinical malaria1 | 172/428 (40%) | 0/287 (0%) | 172/715 (24%) | <0.00012 | |
| Intestinal parasites1 | 6/205 (3%)6 | 10/154 (6%)7 | 16/359 (4%) | 0.10512 | |
| Schistosoma haematobium 1 | 0/172 (0%) | 0/175 (0%) | 0/347 (0%) | - | |
| Genetic disorders | |||||
| G6PD deficiency1 | 44/436 (10%) | 22/271 (8%) | 66/707 (9%) | 0.38052 | |
| Haemoglobinopathy1,8 | 4/431 (1%) | 2/263 (1%) | 6/694 (1%) | 1.00003 | |
| β-Thalassaemia1 | 1/431 (0%) | 4/263 (2%) | 5/694 (1%) | 0.07113 | |
| α-Thalassaemia1 | 77/121 (64%) | 59/137 (43%) | 136/258 (53%) | 0.00102 | |
1n/N (column percentage); 2Chi-squared test; 3Fisher’s exact test; 411 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 5 Staphylococcus aureus, 5 Escherichia coli, 3 Salmonella typhimurium, 10 others. 51 E. coli, 1 Klebsiella spp and 1 g negative bacilli, lactose fermenting oxidase negative (these findings were considered contaminations or transient bacteraemia); 6the intestinal parasites are 3 Ascaris lumbricoides, 2 Giardia lamblia, 1 Strongyloides stercoralis, 7the intestinal parasites are 6 Ascaris lumbricoides, 2 Giardia lamblia, 1 Entamoeba hystolitica, 1 Strongyloides stercoralis, 8Haemoglobinopathy includes S and E
Abbreviations: EBV Epstein-Barr virus, G6PD Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase, Pf Plasmodium falciparum, WAZ Weight for age Z score