Dr Hajar Al Hosni, director of Central Administration of Motherhood and Childhood Care in the Ministry of Health told The Gulf Today that the study included 1,779 children in the age group of 6 months to 59 months, who were given permission by their parents for the study, while guardians of 121 children refused the participation of their children. A total number of 1900 children were randomly selected in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.
The study found that the highest prevalence of anaemia was found in children in Dubai, where 30.7 per cent children were affected by anaemia. In Ras Al Khaimah, 29.3 per cent children were suffering from anemia, 21.9 per cent in Ajman, 18.5 per cent in Abu Dhabi and 17.7 percent in Umm Al Quwain. The study noted that there are many reasons for the high prevalence of anaemia. Some of them reasons are lack of nutritious diet and food lacking iron, eating foods containing substances that impede the absorption of iron in the body, and eating foods lacking vitamin C, which helps in the absorption of iron in the body, and eating fast food instead of balanced meals prepared at home.
According to Dr Hajar Al-Hosni, the study showed that despite of high standard of living in the UAE, the prevalence of anaemia which is caused by iron deficiency is widespread among children. The study revealed the existence of some risk factors which cause anaemia. These are lack of subsidised foods with iron, a child’s illness and age at the time of introduction of complementary foods. The study pointed out that all of these factors could be controlled.
The study showed improvement in the nutritional status (underweight and stunting) in children when compared to a health survey in 1995. The study showed that the results of the increased efforts to adopt programmes to increase awareness about nutrition among all members of society in general and mothers in particular were encouraging. It stressed the importance of special programmes to increase awareness about the food supplements for children at motherhood and childhood centres and primary health care centres.
