Background: Anemia has been acknowledged as worldwide problem, including in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted with objective to explore dietary determinants as risk factors for anemia in children aged 6–36 months living in the urban area of District Lahore, Pakistan.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in district Lahore, Pakistan. The Data was collected within two weeks in June, 2023–July 2023. A structured questionnaire for a 24-h recall and a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) were used to collect the dietary intake data, and venous blood was withdrawn to determine the hemoglobin levels. Bivariate chi-square and multiple logistic regression tests were executed to explore the dietary determinant factors for anemia. We recruited 180 subjects.

Results: The average hemoglobin level was 11.4 ± 1.7 mg/dL, and 29.5% of the population had anemia. There was a strong correlation found between the following factors and an increased risk of anemia: not consuming cow's milk formula; insufficient consumption of lipids, protein, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. The only factors that were shown to be associated with anemia were the consumption of cow's milk formula and zinc intake.

Conclusion: In conclusion, 29.5% of children between the ages of 6 and 36 months had anemia. Zinc intake and the use of cow's milk formula were shown to be the two dietary determinants that were strongly linked to anemia as risk factors.

Key Words: Anemia, Dietary determinants, Risk Factors, Children, Pakistan