Magnitude and determinants of anemia among patients at Garbo Primary Hospital, Somali Region of Ethiopia

Anemia is among the most common hematologic problems, defined as a hemoglobin level below 13 g/dl for males and below 12 g/dl for adult non-pregnant females. Anemia is caused by several factors and has the highest prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. However, there is limited research on the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors in hospitalized patients in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. An institution-based Cross-sectional study design was conducted from July 01 to August 30, 2024, at Garbo Primary Hospital: all medical patients who visited Garbo Primary Hospital and who had CBC tests were selected using a systematic random sampling method. The Data was collected using structured questionnaires and checklists. Data was coded and entered into EpiData version 4.6 and exported into STATA version 17, Texas 77845 USA, for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with anemia at a 95% confidence interval, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 369 patients participated in this study, and among those, 284 (76.96%) have been diagnosed with anemia using their Hgb label. Among those patients with anemia, 139 (48.94%) had mild anemia, 109 (38.38%) moderate anemia, and 36 (12.68%) severe anemia. Being female, currently smoking cigarettes, and being patient with disease comorbidity were found to be statistically significant for the odds of development of anemia. The prevalence of anemia among patients attending Garbo Primary Hospital was found to be 76.96%. Those interventions, including programs to help women quit smoking, as well as targeted nutritional support, could be recommended.