Anemia and its associated factors among Adolescents in Kuwait

Lemia Shaban,Abdur Rahman,Olusegun Mojiminiyi,Reem Al-Sabah,Abdullah Al-Taiar

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-60816-7

Lemia Shaban, Abdur Rahman + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60816-7

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Apr 3, 2020
Citations: 19	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Kuwait University, Old Dominion University

Abstract

We estimated the prevalence of anemia among school children and investigated factors associated with this problem in Kuwait. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1415 adolescents randomly selected from middle schools in Kuwait. Hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, folate and vitamin B12, in addition to many other laboratory indicators, were measured in a venous blood sample. Data on risk factors for anemia were collected from parents and adolescents. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with anemia. The prevalence of anemia was 8.06% (95% CI: 6.69–9.60%), which was significantly higher among females compared to males (10.96% vs. 5.04%; p < 0.001). Mean (SD) Hb level was 133.7 (9.89) g/L and 130.00 (10.48) g/L among males and females, respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe anemia was 5.94%, 1.91% and 0.21%, respectively. Gender, age, iron concentration and ferritin were associated with anemia in multivariable analysis. These data indicate that anemia among school children in Kuwait is of mild public health significance. Further reduction in anemia in school girls should focus on correcting iron deficiency. Surveillance systems for anemia may consider using a cut-off point that is specific for the method of blood sampling and the method of Hb measurement.

Highlights

We estimated the prevalence of anemia among school children and investigated factors associated with this problem in Kuwait
Of 1415 adolescents, 114 were anemic, the prevalence of anemia was 8.06%, which was significantly higher among females compared to males (10.96% vs. 5.04%; p < 0.001)
There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of anemia in the oil-rich countries in the Middle East, where over the last few decades poverty has been eliminated with a significant improvement in sanitation and access to healthcare services

Summary

Introduction

We estimated the prevalence of anemia among school children and investigated factors associated with this problem in Kuwait. Age, iron concentration and ferritin were associated with anemia in multivariable analysis These data indicate that anemia among school children in Kuwait is of mild public health significance. Anemia is characterized by hemoglobin (Hb) concentration being lower than a specific threshold, and creating an impairment in meeting the oxygen demands of tissues[1] It is a major public health problem with around 1,620 million people worldwide diagnosed with anemia[2]. Anemia can result from decreased erythrocyte production or increased blood loss, either through hemolysis, bleeding or both These are determined by nutritional, infectious or genetic factors[8].

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