relationship between anemia and pneumonia severity in children aged 29 days to 5 years

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma and is a leading cause of death among children under five worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that 15% of all under-five deaths are due to pneumonia, with a prevalence of 3.55% in Indonesia. Anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia, is also a common health issue among children and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Anemia is believed to increase the risk and worsen the severity of pneumonia due to hypoxia and impaired immune function. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Waikabubak General Hospital, West Sumba, on children aged 29 days to 5 years who were hospitalized with pneumonia from January 2022 to December 2023. Pneumonia was defined based on WHO criteria. Anemia was defined as blood hemoglobin levels <11 mg/dL. Exclusion criteria included other conditions that might affect the study results. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square test to assess the relationship between anemia and pneumonia severity. Results: Of the 399 subjects meeting the criteria, 57.9% were male and 42.1% female. A total of 61.9% were diagnosed with mild to moderate pneumonia, and 38.1% were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. Most subjects (55.8%) had anemia.