Table 4.
The prevalence and severity of anemia according to children and caregivers’ characteristics
| Characteristics | Frequency | Anemic status and severity level, n (prevalence, %) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild | Moderate/severe | Pc | Overall | Pc | ||||||||
| n | % a | % b | n | % a | % b | n | % a | % b | ||||
| Characteristics of children | ||||||||||||
| Gender of children | 0.920 | 0.833 | ||||||||||
| Girls | 2587 | 168 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 70 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 238 | 9.2 | 8.8 | ||
| Boys | 2642 | 181 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 87 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 268 | 10.1 | 8.9 | ||
| Age of children (months) | 0.001 | 0.017 | ||||||||||
| 6–11 | 416 | 69 | 16.6 | 14.9 | 33 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 102 | 24.5 | 22.3 | ||
| 12–23 | 800 | 66 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 25 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 91 | 11.4 | 9.9 | ||
| 24–35 | 835 | 52 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 15 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 67 | 8.0 | 6.9 | ||
| 36–47 | 1114 | 52 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 54 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 106 | 9.5 | 8.8 | ||
| 48–59 | 1150 | 66 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 17 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 83 | 7.2 | 6.8 | ||
| 60–71 | 914 | 44 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 13 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 57 | 6.2 | 6.2 | ||
| Ethnicity of children | 0.319 | 0.610 | ||||||||||
| Han | 4665 | 320 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 128 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 448 | 9.6 | 9.1 | ||
| Minorities | 564 | 29 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 29 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 58 | 10.2 | 7.5 | ||
| Birth weight | 0.295 | 0.263 | ||||||||||
| < 2500 g | 190 | 19 | 10.0 | 9.3 | 5 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 24 | 12.6 | 12.5 | ||
| 2500–3999 g | 4695 | 309 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 140 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 449 | 9.6 | 8.7 | ||
| ≥ 4000 g | 344 | 21 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 12 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 33 | 9.6 | 9.6 | ||
| Preterm birth | 0.384 | 0.187 | ||||||||||
| No | 4980 | 327 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 149 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 476 | 9.6 | 8.7 | ||
| Yes | 249 | 22 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 30 | 12.0 | 11.7 | ||
| Left-behind children | 0.415 | 0.403 | ||||||||||
| No | 2257 | 161 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 67 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 228 | 10.1 | 7.7 | ||
| Yes | 2972 | 188 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 90 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 278 | 9.4 | 9.8 | ||
| Feeding practice within 6 months after birth | 0.101 | 0.045 | ||||||||||
| Exclusive breast-feeding | 2796 | 209 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 96 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 305 | 10.9 | 10.7 | ||
| Predominant breast-feeding | 613 | 36 | 5.9 | 5.1 | 12 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 48 | 7.8 | 6.5 | ||
| Mixed feeding | 1270 | 72 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 36 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 108 | 8.5 | 7.5 | ||
| Formula feeding | 550 | 32 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 13 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 45 | 8.2 | 7.2 | ||
| Nutrient supplements | 0.165 | 0.210 | ||||||||||
| No | 2730 | 157 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 82 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 239 | 8.8 | 7.9 | ||
| Yes | 2499 | 192 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 75 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 267 | 10.7 | 10.1 | ||
| Passive smoking | 0.276 | 0.926 | ||||||||||
| No | 2885 | 203 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 84 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 287 | 9.9 | 8.8 | ||
| Yes | 2344 | 146 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 73 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 219 | 9.3 | 8.9 | ||
| Regular physical examination | 0.036 | 0.630 | ||||||||||
| No | 593 | 31 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 30 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 61 | 10.3 | 7.6 | ||
| Yes | 4636 | 318 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 127 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 445 | 9.6 | 9.1 | ||
| Stunting | 0.920 | 0.846 | ||||||||||
| No | 4994 | 332 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 151 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 483 | 9.7 | 8.9 | ||
| Yes | 235 | 17 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 23 | 9.8 | 8.2 | ||
| Underweight | 0.097 | 0.190 | ||||||||||
| No | 5020 | 329 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 149 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 478 | 9.5 | 8.7 | ||
| Yes | 209 | 20 | 9.6 | 7.2 | 8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 28 | 13.4 | 11.5 | ||
| Wasting | 0.666 | 0.282 | ||||||||||
| No | 5016 | 331 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 150 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 481 | 9.6 | 8.8 | ||
| Yes | 213 | 18 | 8.5 | 6.3 | 7 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 25 | 11.7 | 9.4 | ||
| Overweight/obesity | 0.258 | 0.163 | ||||||||||
| No | 4631 | 316 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 135 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 451 | 9.7 | 9.1 | ||
| Yes | 598 | 33 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 22 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 55 | 9.2 | 7.1 | ||
| Family income (RMB/year) | 0.035 | 0.005 | ||||||||||
| ≤ 30,000 | 3218 | 235 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 113 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 348 | 10.8 | 10.7 | ||
| 30,001–59,999 | 1209 | 76 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 24 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 100 | 8.3 | 7.0 | ||
| ≥ 60,000 | 802 | 38 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 20 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 58 | 7.2 | 5.9 | ||
| Characteristics of caregivers | ||||||||||||
| Type of caregivers | 0.281 | 0.357 | ||||||||||
| Parents | 3431 | 230 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 114 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 344 | 10.0 | 9.6 | ||
| Grandparents/ other | 1798 | 119 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 43 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 162 | 9.0 | 7.4 | ||
| Education level of caregivers | 0.033 | 0.016 | ||||||||||
| Primary school or below | 1100 | 58 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 19 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 77 | 7.0 | 4.8 | ||
| Junior high school | 2013 | 140 | 7.0 | 6.1 | 73 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 213 | 10.6 | 8.9 | ||
| High school | 1178 | 81 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 39 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 120 | 10.2 | 10.4 | ||
| College or above | 938 | 70 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 26 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 96 | 10.2 | 12.3 | ||
| Occupation of caregivers | 0.425 | 0.511 | ||||||||||
| Housework | 3023 | 196 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 92 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 288 | 9.5 | 8.1 | ||
| Government agencies staff | 612 | 42 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 10 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 52 | 8.5 | 9.7 | ||
| Business services staff | 435 | 22 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 14 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 36 | 8.3 | 7.3 | ||
| Farmer | 347 | 26 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 12 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 38 | 11.0 | 9.4 | ||
| Other | 812 | 63 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 29 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 92 | 11.3 | 11.2 | ||
| Anemia-related feeding knowledge level | 0.028 | 0.046 | ||||||||||
| Low | 1365 | 98 | 7.2 | 6.2 | 53 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 151 | 11.1 | 9.4 | ||
| Moderate | 1827 | 119 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 65 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 184 | 10.1 | 9.8 | ||
| High | 2037 | 132 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 39 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 171 | 8.4 | 7.6 | ||
| Gestational conditions of mothers | ||||||||||||
| Maternal moderate/severe anemia | 0.008 | 0.003 | ||||||||||
| No | 4980 | 325 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 143 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 468 | 9.4 | 8.6 | ||
| Yes | 249 | 24 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 14 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 38 | 15.3 | 13.9 | ||
| Pregnancy comorbidity | 0.156 | 0.043 | ||||||||||
| No | 4743 | 309 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 137 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 446 | 9.4 | 8.7 | ||
| Yes | 486 | 40 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 20 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 60 | 12.3 | 11.0 | ||
| Folate supplementation during pregnancy | 0.603 | 0.267 | ||||||||||
| No | 562 | 34 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 22 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 56 | 10.0 | 9.1 | ||
| Yes | 4667 | 315 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 135 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 450 | 9.6 | 8.8 | ||
| Iron supplementation during pregnancy | 0.523 | 0.394 | ||||||||||
| No | 1814 | 109 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 63 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 172 | 9.5 | 8.8 | ||
| Yes | 3415 | 240 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 94 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 334 | 9.8 | 8.9 | ||
| Total | 5229 | 349 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 157 | 3.0 | 2.6 | – | 506 | 9.7 | 8.8 | – |
a denotes the crude prevalence calculated by simple samples analyses
b denotes the corrected prevalence calculated by complex samples analyses
c The P values calculated by chi-square test of complex samples analyses