Abstract
In rural Ghana, 47.2% of non-pregnant adolescent girls, 15-19 years of age, are anemic (1). Adolescent girls are at higher risk for anemia due to rapid growth, menstruation and childbearing potential. The majority of anemia cases are preventable as they relate to poor nutrition and infection. In order to effectively tailor programs for anemia reduction, it is necessary to understand beliefs around the causes of anemia amongst local decision-makers in rural Ghana. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with community members, traditional leaders, health and non-health institutional staff were collected from the Upper Manya Krobo district in Eastern Ghana in 2017. Thematic analysis was used to identify beliefs around the causes of anemia in adolescents, as well as their primary sources of health information. Many believed poor diet caused anemia 鈥� often referencing a lack of protein and iron, and excess carbohydrate consumption. Environmental factors like sun overexposure and malaria were also identified. Community members and traditional leaders also highlighted adolescent sexual activity as an important risk factor. Girls were believed to be at higher risk of anemia than boys. Adolescents were believed to get health information from friends; however, this information was considered untrustworthy, and parental advice was preferred by respondents. Some of the perceived causes of anemia agreed with the literature 鈥� like the importance of proper diet in preventing nutritional anemias. Future programs could emphasize the role of iron in diet. The concerns around adolescent sexual activity suggests further work around sexual education in the region would be beneficial.
- Rukundo B. K., Schmale, A., & Namaste, S. 鈥淎dolescent Nutrition 2000-2017: DHS Data on Adolescents Age 15-19.鈥� DHS Comparative Report No. 47. Rockville Maryland, USA: ICF, 2018.
