Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Anemia and its Determinant of In -school Adolescent Girls from Rural Ethiopia: A School 
Based Cross -Sectional Study  
 
Version: 2 Date: 07 Feb 2018  
 
Reviewer: Teresa Shamah -Levy  
Reviewer's report:  
Anemia and Body Mass Index Status of In -school Adolescent Girls from Rural Ethiopia: A 
School Based Cross -Sectional Study.  
 
Overall is a good work but t he objective needs to be concreted and line up the title's text with it.  
I.e. Anemia and determinates of In -school Adolescent Girls from Rural Ethiopia: A School 
Based Cross -Sectional Study.  
 
Abstract.  
It is a bit confuse.  
In this section, the objective t alks about anemia magnitude and BMI status in adolescents ant due 
to this it seems to be a descriptive analysis, however in the results section they talk about anemia 
determinants. I suggest to modify  the objective.  
Write again the manuscript's body after  the modifications.  
 
Introduction  
The same comment as in the abstract: I suggest modifying the objective, being clearer and more 
convincing. I.e.  "To evaluate anemia status and its anthropometric, dietary and 
sociodemographic determinants in Ethiopian adol escents", to describe the work as an evaluation -
only somehow minimizes your work.  
 
Methods  
Nice description, the detail level on the sampling process is appreciated.  
In the analyses section it is not mentioned if associations were tested between nutritional  status 
and anemia by using BMI z -score, it is known that low -weight is a risk factor for this outcome. 
(It is not included in the Odds Ratios Table 4)  
 
Results.  
In the first paragraph the phrase " Three quarter (75%) of them were from rural" is repeated  
It is recommended to write together the data from continuous variables: 13 ± 2, instead 13 (± 2)  
Tables 1, 2 and 3 show prevalence of population's categorical and dichotomous characteristics, 
but in the text authors mention some means for continuous variables. Maybe it would be better to 
put together some prevalence tables and adding another with the remaining continuous data.  
Watch out the spaces between the point and the following paragraph  
 
Discussion  
Is brief, it is need to sustain more the results  
If the objective is to evaluate the anemia determinants, a section with a discussion about the 
signif icant risk factors that were found should be included.  
Don't forget to mention if an association between BMI and anemia was found.  
 
Conclusions  
It is focused on the magnitude. It should be modified if the objective is changed.  
 
Tables and figures  
Table 2 :  bleeding duration rows are misaligned.  
Homogenize in the tables headers Frequency (n) and Percent or N and  %  
Table 3 Dietary diversity average could be better explained in a paragraph instead of a table, it is 
confuse  
Table 4 in the table's footer multiv ariate variables must be included.  
Figures are misaligned, there is few information and it is already described in the text, I suggest 
to delete them.  
 
References  
Check format  
The journals do not have a period between journal abbreviation and the year  
Are the methods appropriate and well descri bed?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
Declaration of competing interes ts 
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publ ication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you current ly applying for any patents relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give det ails below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).  I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal