Correlation of anemia to body mass index among adult population in a rural region of Malwa in Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Anemia and obesity are the markers of imminent health issues in adults because malnutrition shows two extreme ends, decreased hemoglobin (Hb) and increased body mass index (BMI), caused due to undernutrition and overnutrition, respectively. Aims and Objectives: This study was done to compare the effect of a BMI on anemia in India as very few of these studies have been done in rural India and none in the rural Malwa region of Central India. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a rural mission hospital in a remote village Hatpipliya of district Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, beginning from September 2020 to November 2020 with a sample size of 152 subjects. Hb was assessed on the basis of the World Health Organization standards and BMI was calculated as per Quetelet’s index. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed. Results: A total of 152 people in the age group of >20 years were included in the study. Seventy-one (47%) were male and 81 (53%) were female. The prevalence of anemia among underweight population was 38.8%, which was almost closed to those with normal BMI (38.5%). The overweight category showed 21% to be anemic and interestingly, 50% of obese individuals were anemic. Conclusion: No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in the prevalence of anemia among all BMI groups. Frequent screening for the prevalence of anemia and its association with BMI should be done among the target group.