Estimates the Effect of Anemia among Children in South India Using Multinomial Logistic Regression Model

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Nagendra Kumar Kalaparthi1, Hemanth Kumar Molapata2, and Kamala Varudu3 (Department of Statistics, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh1, Department of Statistics, Hindu College, University of Delhi2, and Department of Social Work, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh3)

Anemia persists as a public health problem affecting 1.62 billion world’s population. Prevalence of anemia among children is a serious concern in India and increases the morbidity from infectious disease. One of the most vulnerable groups is children aged 6-59 months. The wellbeing of children not only depends on the health but also on the social, economic and development of any nation. The main cause of anemia can be attributed to iron but a number of other factors also affect the hemoglobin level in the body. A number of studies had focused on the prevalence and determinants of anemia among children in the age group 6-59 in south India. The northern part of south India has a very high prevalence of anemia among children. The purpose of the study is to see how the prevalence of anemia among children is distributed across social groups in all districts (developed & underdeveloped) of south India. There are 23 districts in South India comprising of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana. Though, the states are considered to be developed many of the districts are not uniformly developed. The study focuses on the prevalence of anemia in the districts of South India.