Anemia in Children under Three Years of Age and Associated Factors in Peru

Solano Dávila O.; Gómez Ticerán D.; Pillhuaman Caña N.; Condado Jauregui J.; Bolaños Solano O.; Huerta Firma R. · Revista Cubana de Pediatria (2026)

Resumen

Introduction: Anemia constitutes a persistent public health challenge, affecting 269 million children under five years of age worldwide. Children under three years old represent the most vulnerable and prevalent population, severely impacting intellectual and biological development in this age group. Objective: To identify the direct, basic, and underlying factors associated with anemia in Peruvian infants under three years of age. Methods: An observational and retrospective research study was conducted, with an analytical cross-sectional design. The study was based on a sample of 10,696 infants under 36 months of age, whose data were obtained through the 2022 National Demographic and Family Health Survey published in 2022. Results: The main predictors of childhood anemia were age under 12 months (aOR = 3.947; 95% CI = 3.415-4.562) and extreme poverty (aOR = 2.6; 95% CI = 2.070-3.266). The risk was increased by biological and maternal factors such as male sex (aOR = 1.502) and maternal anemia (aOR = 1.723). Chronic malnutrition (aOR = 1.696; 95% CI = 1.484-1.939), recent diarrhea (aOR = 1.457; 95% CI = 1.243-1.708), and lack of deworming medication (aOR = 1.612; 95% CI = 1.420-1.830) acted as critical determinants of the disease. In the social sphere, low maternal education (aOR = 1.286) increased vulnerability, while access to safe water reduced the risk by 37%. Conclusions: Childhood anemia is a multifactorial problem driven mainly by chronic malnutrition and socioeconomic precariousness. Low maternal educational level and the recurrence of infectious processes act as critical determinants that perpetuate the disease.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú