Abstract:
Livestock ownership may influence anaemia through complex and possibly contradictory mechanisms.
In this study, we aimed to determine the association of household livestock ownership
with anaemia among women aged 15–49 years and children aged 6–59 months in Ghana and
to examine the contribution of animal source foods (ASFs) to consumption patterns as a potential
mechanism mediating this association. We analysed data on 4,441 women and 2,735 children
from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and 16,772 households from the Ghana
Living Standards Survey Round 6. Haemoglobin measurements were used to define anaemia
(non‐pregnant women: <120 g/L; children: <110 g/L). Child‐ and household‐level ASF consumption
data were collected from 24‐hour food group intake and food consumption and expenditure surveys,
respectively. Inmultiple logistic regressionmodels, household livestock ownership was associated with
anaemia among children (OR, 95% CI: 1.5 [1.1, 2.0]), but not women (1.0 [0.83, 1.2]). Household
ownership of chickens was associated with higher odds of anaemia among children (1.6 [1.2, 2.2]),
but ownership of other animal species was not associated with anaemia among women or children.
In path analyses, we observed no evidence of mediation of the association of household livestock
ownership with child anaemia by ASF consumption. Ownership of livestock likely has limited
importance for consumption of ASFs among young children in Ghana and may in fact place children
at an increased risk of anaemia. Further research is needed to elucidate if and how pathogen exposure
associated with livestock rearing may underlie this increased risk of anaemia.
