Risk factors associated with iron deficiency anemia in children under 5 years of age attending a health center in Chachapoyas, Peru.

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study. Objective: To identify risk factors among sociodemographic, nutritional and health characteristics associated with iron deficiency anemia in children under five years of age, attending the growth and development clinic of the Nueve de Enero de Chachapoyas Health Center during 2019.  Methods: Two groups were formed, each consisting of 50 children. Group 1 (G1, cases) were children diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia and a control group (CG) of age-matched healthy children residing in the same jurisdiction. Data were collected from the medical records of the health center, in a structured record card based on the study variables: age, birth weight, parasitic diseases or associated symptomatologies such as diarrhea, frequency and type of feeding before and after six months of age. The data were grouped in contingency tables for the calculation of Odds Ratio (OR), and statistical significance was estimated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 95% confidence. Results: All the factors considered presented significant association p<0.05, with the exception of sex, with respect to the presence of anemia in children. With OR values of: under 32 months of age (OR=2.26, 95% CI 0.59-2.79), under 2900 g birth weight (OR=2.98, 95% CI 0.43-2.99), prolonged exclusive breastfeeding (OR=3.14, 95% CI 1. 55-3.88), early ablactation (OR=4.96, 95% CI 1.27-5.07), low consumption of foods of animal origin (3.5, 95% CI 1.18-3.61), low consumption of fruits and vegetables (2.33, 95% CI 0.86-2.63), among others. Conclusions: In the population of Chachapoyas, the factors considered in the study increase the risk of developing anemia in children under five years of age by more than 93%. Its probability of occurrence warrants a reevaluation of the strategies applied in the different programs or interventions carried out in the area for the control and prevention of anemia.