Anemia among indigenous women in Brazil: findings from the First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition

BMC Women's Health

Research Article

Luiza Garnelo¹  Carlos E. A. Coimbra²  James R. Welch²  Andrey M. Cardoso²  Ricardo V. Santos³  Maria Carolina Borges⁴  Bernardo L. Horta⁴  Romina Buffarini⁴ 

[1] Centro de Pesquisas Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Terezina 476, 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil;Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões 1480, 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;Departamento de Antropologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Departamento de Medicina Social, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro 1160, 96001-970, Pelotas, RS, Brazil;

关键词: Brazil;    Indigenous peoples;    Health surveys;    Nutrition surveys;    Health status indicators;    Anemia;    Maternal health;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12905-016-0287-5

 received in 2015-05-05, accepted in 2016-01-27,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAnemia is recognized as a major public health problem that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Indigenous women of reproductive age in Brazil are thought to be at high risk, but lack of nationwide data limits knowledge about the burden of disease and its main determinants. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia and associated factors in this population using data from The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil.MethodsData were collected from Indigenous women between 15 and 49 years old based on a nationwide sample of villages. The outcomes of interest were hemoglobin levels (g/dL) and anemia (< 12 g/dL for nonpregnant and < 11 g/dL for pregnant women). Multilevel models were used to explore associations with contextual (village) and individual (household/woman) level variables.ResultsBased on data for 6692 Indigenous women, the nationwide mean hemoglobin level was 12.39 g/dL (95 % CI: 12.29–12.50). Anemia prevalence was high (33.0 %; 95 % CI: 30.40–35.61 %) and showed pronounced regional disparities. No village-level characteristics were associated with anemia or hemoglobin levels in the multilevel model. Even after controlling for upper level variables, socioeconomic status, parity, body mass index, and having been treated for malaria were associated with anemia and hemoglobin levels.ConclusionThe prevalence of anemia in Brazilian Indigenous women was 12 % greater than the national estimates for women of reproductive age. Anemia prevalence and mean hemoglobin levels among Indigenous women appear to be partly explained by some previously recognized risk factors, such as socioeconomic status, body mass index, and malaria; however, part of the variability in these outcomes remains unexplained. Knowledge of health status and its potential determinants is essential to guide public policies aimed at controlling anemia burden in Indigenous communities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Borges et al. 2016