Disparity of anemia prevalence and associated factors among rural to urban migrant and the local children under two years old: a population based cross-sectional study in Pinghu, China

Abstract

Anemia was more prevalent among migrant children, especially those aged 6-11 months. Dislike their local counterparts, migrant children were more vulnerable at early life and seemed sensitive to feeding behaviors, such as, over reliance on breastfeeding for nutrition after aged 6 months, lack of iron-rich and/or iron-fortified foods. Future strategies to narrow the gap of anemia prevalence between the migrant and local children should target more susceptible groups and through improvement of feeding practices among younger children in those kinds of newly-developing areas of China.