Deficiência de ferro e anemia ferropénica em crianças até aos 5 anos em países Africanos: Uma revisão da literatura

Celisa Sanches; Paula Pinto; Rui Jorge

doi:10.25746/ruiips.v12.i1.33360

Authors

Celisa Sanches School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Santarém, Portugal
Paula Pinto School of Agriculture of the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Santarém, Portugal
Rui Jorge School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5261-2688

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25746/ruiips.v12.i1.33360

Keywords:

Iron deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Children, Risk factors

Abstract

Introduction: Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia remain a global public health challenge, with a higher prevalence in children. In the first few months of life, iron deficiency can have long-term effects on cognitive development.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency and its associated factors in children under 5 years old in Africa.

Methodology: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between 2013 and 2023 that responded to the objective of this review.

Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency ranged from 5.9% to 44.4% and of iron deficiency anemia the values are situated between 3.4 to 29.6%. The most cited risk factors were a low-iron diet, household size and socioeconomic status.

Conclusions: Studies performed in the last 10 years about prevalence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in African countries are scarce, with the available literature showing variable and tendendically high prevalences. More studies are needed to have a more complete picture of the real problem of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in Africa.

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