Table 5 Distribution of anemia severity and multinomial logistic regression showing crude ORs of risk factors for mild and moderate-to-severe anemia and respective p values in women

 Rural (Karonga)

7,111

12.0

7.5

1

 Urban (Lilongwe)

7,867

13.5

1.17(1.07–1.29)

9.8

1.37(1.22–1.54)

<0.001

 18–24

3,952

12.1

1

7.8

1

 25–34

4,983

12.7

1.06(0.94–-1.21)

8.3

1.07(0.91–1.25)

 35–44

2,844

14.5

1.31(1.13–1.51)

11.7

1.61(1.37–1.90)

 45–54

1,531

13.3

1.15(0.96–1.37)

10.1

1.34(1.09–1.64)

 55–64

912

11.1

0.87(0.70–1.10)

4.9

0.60(0.43–0.83)

<0.001

  > 65

756

11.5

0.93(0.72–1.18)

6.0

0.74(0.53–1.02)

 Never smoker

14,917

12.7

1

8.7

1

 Past

36

11.1

0.80(0.28–2.26)

2.8

0.29(0.04–2.14)

 Current

25

28.0

2.70(1.11–6.57

8.0

1.13(0.26–4.92)

0.17

 No

14,248

12.8

1

8.7

1

 Light/irregular

668

12.0

0.93(0.73–1.18)

9.1

1.05(0.80–1.38)

 Moderate/heavy

62

9.7

0.72(0.31–1.68)

8.1

0.89(0.35–2.24)

0.88

 No formal/illiterate

1,699

11.8

1.02(0.87–1.21)

8.4

1.07(0.88–1.30)

 Standard

6,452

11.6

1

7.9

1

 Secondary

5,764

14.1

1.27(1.14–1.41)

9.0

1.19(1.05–1.35)

<0.001

 Tertiary

1,063

14.5

1.37(1.14–1.66)

12.2

1.70(1.39–2.09)

 Unemployed

6,338

13.0

1

9.1

1

0.23

 Farming/Fishing

4,765

12.0

0.89(0.80–1.00)

7.2

0.77(0.67–0.89)

 Self-employed

2,372

12.9

0.99(0.86–1.14)

8.9

0.97(0.82–1.15)

 Salaried worker

1,503

13.8

1.11(0.94–1.31)

8.4

1.30(1.08–1.56)

<0.001

 1^st (lowest)

2,742

12.0

1

7.4

1

 2^nd

3,192

12.4

1.03(0.88–1.21)

7.2

0.97(0.79–1.18)

 3^rd

2,874

12.2

1.03(0.88–1.21)

8.7

1.18(0.98–1.44)

 4^th

3,531

12.9

1.11(0.96–1.30)

9.6

1.34(1.11–1.60)

 5^th (highest)

2,557

14.2

1.27(1.08–1.49)

10.6

1.53(1.27–1.86)

<0.001

 HIV negative

10,990

11.7

1

6.8

1

 HIV+ <5 years on ART

650

18.6

1.98(1.60–2.44)

16.0

2.92(2.33–3.67)

 HIV+ ≥5 years on ART

340

13.8

1.34(0.98–1.85)

14.7

2.46(1.80–3.36)

 HIV+ not on ART

495

20.8

2.49(1.98–3.15)

21.2

4.37(3.45–5.53)

 Unknown HIV status

2,493

14.1

1.31(1.16–1.49)

11.5

1.85(1.60–2.14)

 No

14,211

12.2

1

8.5

1

 Yes

767

22.6

2.23(1.86–2.67)

11.9

1.69(1.34–2.13)

 None

1,860

14.0

1.28(1.09–1.50)

12.2

1.70(1.42–2.03)

<0.001

 1–2

4,369

11.9

1

7.8

1

 3–5

5,321

13.0

1.12(0.99–1.26)

8.8

1.16(1.00–1.34)

 6+

3,406

12.9

1.10(0.96–1.26)

7.6

0.98(0.82–1.16)

<0.001