Nutrition-sensitive determinants of anemia among women of childbearing age in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Anemia remains a major public health concern, affecting approximately 30% of women aged 15 - 49 globally and 21% in Eastern Uganda, posing significant risks to maternal and child health. Addressing this issue requires understanding how nutrition is linked to broader health, social, and economic development initiatives. This study examines the relationship between nutrition-sensitive determinants—including household food insecurity, minimumdietary diversity for women, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions— and the prevalence of anemia, defined as hemoglobin levels < 11 g/dL in pregnant women and <12 g/dL in non-pregnant women. Data from the Uganda National Panel Survey that included 558 weighted samples of women in Eastern Uganda were reanalyzed. Descriptive analysis revealed that the overall prevalence of anemia was 18.3%, with 24.3% and 17.8% among pregnant and non-pregnant women respectively. The prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age varied from mild to moderate public health according to the World Health Organization. Logistic regression analysis employed to explore the nutrition-sensitive determinants of anemia among women revealed that anemia prevalence was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with several factors (12) including the nutrition-sensitive variables such as MDD-W (AOR= 0.73, p = 0.03), handwashing (AOR = 0.72, p = 0.031), and wealth index (AORmiddle = 0.128, AORricher = 0.201, AORrichest = 0.103, p = 0.041). Interven- tions for anemia in Eastern Uganda need to focus on improving key nutritionsensitive indicators like dietary diversity, WASH practices, and wealth status among women.