The control of growth and development in the reduction of anemia in Peru

Introduction: Anemia is a public health problem that mainly affects children under five years of age. Objective: Determine the impact of growth and development control (CRED) in reducing anemia in children under five years of age in Peru considering the analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) 2021. Method: Analytical and cross-sectional study with a secondary analysis of data from the 2021 ENDES survey. Results: 31.4% of children under five years of age had anemia, where 38.3% corresponded to rural areas; 34.0%, male children; 56.9%, under one year old; 38.5% were mothers with primary education and 40.8% belonged to the index of the poorest, showing statistically significant differences. In relation to the CRED, it was evident that 32.4% of children who did undergo a CRED and 30.2% of children who did not had anemia. Regarding the place where it was carried out, it was observed that 32.4% of children who were cared for in a health facility and 32.9% of children who were cared for by the nurse had anemia. Conclusion: Anemia is a public health problem that is present and conditioned by various factors and determinants. During the pandemic, the impact of CRED in reducing anemia was ambiguous, so there are assumptions about whether the interventions are having the desired and expected impact.