Prevalence and Associated Factors of Anemia among Hospitalized Children Under 5 Years of Age in a Rural Tertiary Care Hospital, Telangana

Background: Iron deficiency anemia is a common nutritional deficiency found among children, and it is one of the causes of public health concern in India. The most common etiological factors in developing countries include micronutrient deficiencies. The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of anemia among children of 5 years of age admitted to our tertiary care teaching hospital. Material and Methods: This study was conducted over 6 months from July 2025 to Dec 2025 in the Department of Pediatrics, GMC Nagarkurnool. N=659 children aged 1-60 months admitted with various ailments were included. Laboratory investigations were done for Hematological parameters, including hemoglobin, total WBC count, and red cell indices. Data on feeding Practices, junk food, and hematological parameters were collected. Appropriate statistical analysis was applied. Results: Moderate anemia was the most common 57.96%. Mixed feeding 80.1% in <2yrs and animal milk 56.3% in >2 yrs were common. Junk food intake was present in 67.7%; microcytic hypochromic anemia predominated. MCH and MCHC showed statistically significant differences, except for MCV. System-wise analysis has shown that nearly 39.9% of respiratory and 36.46% of infectious disease cases were anemic. Conclusion: The present study found a high burden of anemia among hospitalized children under 5 years of age, with moderate anemia being the predominant severity category. Microcytic hypochromic morphology was common, particularly among children aged 7–24 months, and RBC morphology varied significantly across age groups.

Keywords: Anemia, Under-five children, Feeding practices, Iron deficiency, Nagarkurnool.