Anemia and Related Factors Among Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Experienced Children in Hawassa Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: Emphasis on Patient Management

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and its therapy cause a variety of hematological abnormalities that have been known to be one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive children. One of the commonly observed hematologic manifestations in HIV-positive children is anemia and it has a multifactorial source. We intended to assess the prevalence, as well as its related factors of anemia among Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), experienced children. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was employed at Hawassa comprehensive specialized hospital from February 15-June 15, 2018. Overall, 273 HAART-practiced children were included in the study. Socio-demographic variables and clinical data were collected using a standard and pretested questionnaire. Medical records were reviewed for each study participant using a standard checklist. Blood specimens were collected and examined for complete blood count, CD4 cell count and blood film for hemoparasites and morphological classification of anemia, whereas stool specimens were collected and examined for intestinal parasites. Data were entered into Epidata and transferred to SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 20 software. Descriptive analysis was done for prevalence and binary and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with anemia. Statistical significance was stated at P-value