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Structured Additive Quantile Regression for Assessing the Determinants of Childhood Anemia in Rwanda
Authors: Faustin Habyarimana, Temesgen Zewotir, and Shaun Ramroop
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(6):652 DOI 10.3390/ijerph14060652
Topic(s): Anemia
Child health
Country: Africa
  Rwanda
Published: JUN 2017
Abstract: Childhood anemia is among the most significant health problems faced by public health departments in developing countries. This study aims at assessing the determinants and possible spatial effects associated with childhood anemia in Rwanda. The 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) data was used. The analysis was done using the structured spatial additive quantile regression model. The findings of this study revealed that the child’s age; the duration of breastfeeding; gender of the child; the nutritional status of the child (whether underweight and/or wasting); whether the child had a fever; had a cough in the two weeks prior to the survey or not; whether the child received vitamin A supplementation in the six weeks before the survey or not; the household wealth index; literacy of the mother; mother’s anemia status; mother’s age at the birth are all significant factors associated with childhood anemia in Rwanda. Furthermore, significant structured spatial location effects on childhood anemia was found.
Web: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/6/652/htm