Objective:

To characterize and measure the effect of food consumption on the concentration of hemoglobin and the risk of anemia in children under three years of age, in Peru.

Materials and Methods:

Cross-sectional data from the National Household Survey ENAHO and the Demographic and Family Health Survey ENDES of 2018 were used. In estimating the efect of food consumption on hemoglobin concentration, the linear multiple regression model was used; while the probit regression model was used to measure the effect of food consumption on the risk of anemia.

Results.

The consumption of lettuce, celery, and beet (vegetables), liver (red meat), papaya (fruit) was found to positively contribute to the concentration of hemoglobin and the reduction of the risk of anemia. Potatoes (tuber) contribute positively to increasing hemoglobin and reducing the risk of anemia, for consumption levels below 50 kilograms per year. Among the control variables, the biological characteristics of the mother and child, the socioeconomic characteristics of the household, and the characteristics of the region and community were highly significant.

Conclusion:

Higher consumption of beef liver, lettuce, and beets produces higher levels of hemoglobin, while the consumption of potatoes, below 50 kg on a yearly average, contributes to the reduction of the risk of anemia, and higher consumption of celery and papaya generates a lower probability risk of anemia.

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