article · Scientific Reports
Anaemia affects over half of school-going adolescents aged 15 to 19 in Mbale City, Eastern Uganda, with 57 per cent of tested students diagnosed with the condition. Girls accounted for the majority of cases and faced a significantly higher risk than boys. Several social, familial, and environmental factors correlate with higher rates of anaemia, including having a deceased mother, having divorced or separated parents, currently taking medication, and consuming unboiled water. Conversely, religious affiliation with the Muslim or Adventist denominations was linked to a reduced risk. Because anaemia impairs cognitive development, physical growth, and academic achievement, targeted health and nutritional interventions are needed in secondary schools. Tailored public health initiatives, such as clean water provision and school feeding schemes, could address these vulnerabilities in low- and middle-income regions.
Anaemia compromises adolescent cognitive development, academic achievement, physical growth, and future economic potential. Pinpointing the local lifestyle and socio-demographic drivers of the condition provides essential baseline evidence for designing targeted public health interventions, such as clean drinking water access and school feeding programmes, across low- and middle-income settings.
The abstract does not indicate a commercial application pathway, as it focuses on observational public health research. However, the findings offer epidemiological data that could inform public health agencies, non-governmental organisations, and commercial nutrition providers seeking to design fortified school meal programmes or community screening initiatives in similar regional contexts.
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Anaemia affects an estimated 2 billion people globally and remains a major public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Among adolescents, anaemia can impair cognitive development, physical growth, academic performance, and future productivity. This study assessed the prevalence of anaemia and its associated factors among school-going adolescents in Mbale City, Eastern Uganda. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study among 422 school-going adolescents, using face-to-face questionnaires and Mission Plus Hb haemoglobinometer (ACON Laboratories, USA)-based haemoglobin measurement. The study population was secondary level school-going adolescents residing in Mbale City aged 15–19 years. Stratified sampling was used to select respondents in each of the three divisions of Mbale City. The study considered adolescents with hemoglobin (HB) levels below 12.0 g/dL for females and below 13.0 g/dL for males as anemic. Prior to enrolling participants in the study, consent and assent were obtained. More than half (57%, n = 270/422) of the respondents were anemic, of whom 57.8% were female, while 42.2% were male. The results revealed that being female (OR = 3.81, p < 0.001), having a deceased mother (OR = 5.87, p = 0.008), parents of the adolescent being divorced/ separated (OR = 4.08, p < 0.001), currently taking medication (OR = 3.38, p = 0.001), and drinking un-boiled water (OR = 2.22, p = 0.015) were significantly associated with anemia. In contrast, being Muslim (OR = 0.44, p = 0.046) and belonging to the Adventist denomination (OR = 0.25, p = 0.037) were protective factors against anemia. The study revealed a high prevalence of anemia, particularly affecting females, among school-going adolescents. Location was identified as a significant factor, emphasizing the necessity of targeted interventions in areas with high anemia rates. These findings hold critical implications for anemia prevention and management in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, including considerations for school feeding programs.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-68262-7
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