Status of anemia of school-age children in Aheqi Countyof Xinjiang and its influencing factors

  Objective  To observe the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), and to analyze its influencing factors.

  Methods  Multistage random sampling was used to collect 1 258 school-age children in two investigations from one town (3 communities) and 5 townships (23 administrative village committees) in Aheqi County of Xinjiang from February to December 2021, relevant data of school-age children were counted. The prevalence of IDA in school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang was investigated, and Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of IDA of school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang.

  Results  There were 442 cases(illness group) with different degrees of IDA in 1 258 school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang, the prevalence of IDA was 35.14% (442/1 258), and 816 children (non-diseased group) did not develop IDA. The proportions of children living in rural areas, given breastfeeding in infancy, mainly intake of flatbread and pilaf in Xinjiang, drinking milk tea frequently or every day, and positive for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in the illness group were higher than those in the non-diseased group, and the time of adding supplementary food was later than that of children in the non-diseased group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no statistical significant difference in other data between two groups (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that living in rural areas, breastfeeding in infancy, addition of supplementary food in late period, diet based on flatbread and pilaf, regular or daily drinking milk tea and positive for Hp infection were the risk factors of IDA among school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang (OR>1, P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The prevalence of IDA in school-age children in Aheqi County of Xinjiang is high, which may be affected by children's place of residence, feeding mode in infancy, time of supplementary feeding, dietary structure, drinking milk tea and Hp infection.