Anemia, micronutrient deficiencies, malaria, hemoglobinopathies and malnutrition in young children and non-pregnant women in Ghana: Findings from a national survey
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Date
2020-01-30
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Plos One
Abstract
Nationally representative data on the micronutrient status of Ghanaian women and children
are very scarce. We aimed to document the current national prevalence of micronutrient
deficiencies, anemia, malaria, inflammation, α-thalassemia, sickle cell disease and trait, and
under- and over-nutrition in Ghana. In 2017, a two-stage cross-sectional design was applied
to enroll pre-school children (6–59 months) and non-pregnant women (15–49 years) from
three strata in Ghana: Northern, Middle and Southern Belt. Household and individual questionnaire
data were collected along with blood samples. In total, 2123 households completed
the household interviews, 1165 children and 973 women provided blood samples. Nationally,
35.6% (95%CI: 31.7,39.6) of children had anemia, 21.5% (18.4,25.0) had iron deficiency,
12.2% (10.1,14.7) had iron deficiency anemia, and 20.8% (18.1,23.9) had vitamin A
deficiency; 20.3%(15.2,26.6) tested positive for malaria, 13.9% (11.1,17.3) for sickle trait
plus disease, and 30.7% (27.5,34.2) for α-thalassemia. Anemia and micronutrient deficiencies
were more prevalent in rural areas, poor households and in the Northern Belt. Stunting
and wasting affected 21.4% (18.0,25.2) and 7.0% (5.1,9.5) of children, respectively. Stunting
was more common in rural areas and in poor households. Among non-pregnant women,
21.7% (18.7,25.1) were anemic, 13.7% (11.2,16.6) iron deficient, 8.9% (6.7,11.7) had iron
deficiency anemia, and 1.5% (0.8,2.9) were vitamin A deficient, 53.8% (47.6,60.0) were
folate deficient, and 6.9% (4.8,9.8) were vitamin B12 deficient. Malaria parasitemia in
women [8.4% (5.7,12.2)] was lower than in children, but the prevalence of sickle cell disease
or trait and α-thalassemia were similar. Overweight [24.7% (21.0,28.8)] and obesity [14.3%
(11.5,17.7)] were more common in wealthier, older, and urban women. Our findings demonstrate
that anemia and several micronutrient deficiencies are highly present in Ghana calling
for the strengthening of Ghana’s food fortification program while overweight and obesity in women are constantly increasing and need to be addressed urgently through governmental
policies and programs
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Ghanaian women, children, blood samples, micronutrient
Citation
Wegmu¨ller R, Bentil H, Wirth JP, Petry N, Tanumihardjo SA, Allen L, et al. (2020) Anemia, micronutrient deficiencies, malaria, hemoglobinopathies and malnutrition in young children and non-pregnant women in Ghana: Findings from a national survey. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0228258. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0228258