Anemia prevalence of among 0 – 5 years old children in China, 2013

  Objective  To analyze the prevalence of anemia among 0 – 5 years old children in China.

  Methods  The data on 29 677 children aged 0 – 5 years in 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China were extracted from National Nutrition and Health Surveillance conducted in 2013. World Health Organization standards for diagnosis of anemia were used in the study.

  Results  The prevalence rates of anemia were higher than 10.0% among the children in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Chongqing municipality, of which, the highest rate (25.2%) was observed among the children in Sichuan province. The anemia prevalence rate ranged from 24.6% to 11.7% among the children in urban areas of Sichuan (24.6%), Shandong (19.0%), Heilongjiang (14.4%), Hubei (13.8%), Hunan (13.1%), Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (13.0%) and Liaoning province (11.7%); while, the rate fluctuated between 27.5% and 11.1% among the children in rural areas of Qinghai (27.5%), Shanxi (26.1%), Sichuan (25.6%), Jiangxi (23.8%), Shaanxi (18.3%), Guizhou (17.1%), Hubei (14.4%), Fujian (12.6%), and Jilin province (11.8%), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (13.5%) and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (11.1%), and Chongqing municipality (22.4%), respectively.

  Conclusion  There are obvious differences in anemia prevalence among 0 – 5 years old children in various provincial regions and between urban and rural areas in China. The anemia prevalence rate is relatively higher (> 10.0%) among the 0 – 5 years children in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Chongqing municipality; in Sichuan province with the highest anemia prevalence rate, more than one fifth of the 0 – 5 years old children suffering from anemia.