Pooled prevalence of anaemia and its associated factors among adolescent girls in East and West Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Anemia is a major public health issue that significantly affects health, as well as social and economic development worldwide. Among adolescent girls, the prevalence of anemia is higher due to increased demands for blood volume expansion associated with the onset of menstruation and the rapid growth during adolescence. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among adolescent girls in East and West African countries. All published and unpublished studies from East and West Africa available in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Hinari, and Google Scholar were screened based on their titles, abstracts, study design, and full-text review before inclusion in the meta-analysis. Data were extracted after assessing the quality of evidence using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. Microsoft Excel was used for data extraction, and STATA version 14 was employed for statistical analysis. A forest plot was used to display the pooled prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls in East and West Africa. Heterogeneity was assessed using random-effects models, subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's regression test and funnel plot analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to present the factors associated with anemia among adolescent girls. A total of twenty-nine studies involving 12,905 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls was 32.88% 95% CI: 24.62%, 41.14%, based on a random-effects model. The meta-analysis also identified significant associations between anemia and certain factors. Adolescent girls living in rural areas were more likely to have anemia compared to those in urban areas (OR = 4.19; 95% CI: 1.42, 12.41; I² = 76.2%, p = 0.006). Additionally, girls who had not heard about anemia had significantly higher odds of being anemic (OR = 12.25; 95% CI: 4.59, 32.64; I² = 81.1%, p < 0.01). The pooled prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls in East and West African countries represents a moderate public health concern. Adolescent girls living in rural areas and those who had not heard about anemia were significantly more likely to develop the condition. Addressing this nutritional challenge requires strong intersectoral collaboration between the health and education sectors to promote awareness, prevention, and effective interventions targeting adolescent girls.