| Prevalence Study of Anemia among Urban and Rural Middle School Girl Students. |
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Jeong Ok Hah, Mi Hwa Kang, Jeung Ho Kim |
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Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University Taegu, Korea |
| 도시와 농촌 여중학생의 빈혈 유병률 조사 |
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하정옥, 강미화, 김정호 |
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영남대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실 |
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Received: 23 February 1990 • Accepted: 30 May 1990 |
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| Abstract |
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This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence rate of anemia and iron deficiency in
pubertal girls in urban and rural areas. Venous peripheral blood was sampled from 346 girls who were
randomly selected from 1,900 students of one girls’ middle school in Taegu city and all of 311 girls
attending two middle schools in rural area, one in Cheungdo county and, another in Kyungsan County
in Kyungpook Province.
RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC indices, RDW and platelet count were measured by electronic
coulter counter, serum ferritin level was measured by enzyme immunoassay, (Ferrizyme test) and
morphologic examination of RBC was done on peripheral blood smear.
A questionnaire was administered to obtain the menstrual history. Data for the school performance
of students and educational level of their parents were obtained from the school record. Anemia was
defined as hemoglobin level of 11.5 gm/dl or less and iron deficiency anemia was defined as anemia
with either MCV of 78斤 or less or serum ferritin level of 10/2g/L or less.
In urban area, the prevalence rate of anemia was 7.2% which increased with age significantly (p<
0.05); 3.6% in 12years, 5.4% in 13years and 12.0% in 14years of age, and all of these amemias were
iron deficiency anemia.
In rural area, the prevalence rate was 20.3% (20.3% in 12years, 14.6% in 13years and 25.9% in
14years of age). Among these anemias, 13.2%were found to be iron deficiency anemia and 7.1% were
non-iron deficiency anemia. Although chronic infection or inflammatory diseases were suspected for
the causes of non-iron deficiency anemia, diagnostic work up was warranted to uncover the etiology.
Iron depleted status without anemia was found in 26.0% of study population in both urban and rural
areas.
The prevalence rate of iron deficiency anemia was higher among the students with regular
menstruation (9.3% in urban, 22.4% in rural) than those students who did not have menarche (3.8%
in urban, 8.3% in rural) (p<0.05). The school performance and the prevalence rate of iron deficiency
anemia showed a weak inverse correlation with school performance which did not reach 5% statis-
tical significance level. However, it showed a significant inverse correlation (p<0.005) with parents,
educational level.
It is recommended to enforce the nutritional education to take enough iron in early adolescence to
reduce the high prevalence rate of anemia among pubertal girl students. |
| Key Words:
Prevalence rate, Anemia, Iron Deficiency |
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