Magnitude and factors associated with anemia among diabetic patients in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Main Authors: Daniel Atlaw, Zerihun Tariku
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-07-01
• Series: SAGE Open Medicine
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211031126

Background: In Ethiopia, diabetes is estimated to affect about half a million people. About 35% of individuals with diabetes are complicated by microvascular diseases like retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular, and anemia. Even though there are some studies conducted on prevalence and associated factors of anemia in diabetic patients, their findings were variable. Therefore, this meta-analysis is aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and factors associated with anemia among diabetic patients. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, POPLINE, ScienceDirect, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify related studies. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed using Cochran’s Q test and I 2 tests. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of anemia among diabetic patients in Ethiopia. Publication bias was evaluated by employing Egger’s tests. Results: After reviewing 503 articles, 6 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria and remained for the final meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of anemia among diabetic patients was 24.81% (95% confidence interval: 19.38–30.25). Age greater than 60 years old (pooled odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 3.73 (2.23–6.77)), glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (pooled odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 12.65 (8.71–18.37)), and being diabetic for more than 10 years (pooled odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 10.21 (7.00–15.04)) were found to be determinants of anemia among diabetic patients in Ethiopia. Conclusion: Overall, one in four diabetic patients develops anemia in Ethiopia. Age, glomerular filtration rate, and duration of being diabetic are factors significantly associated with the occurrence of anemia in diabetic patients.