Health status of college-going girls (female undergraduates) as an expression of anemia and BMI

Abstract

Anaemia and being underweight are two global public health issues that include the significant population of girls of adolescents, directly affecting one’s working capacity and posing a great risk for future motherhood. In this study, a total of 798 college-going girls were observed with their height, weight and hemoglobin level over a period of five years. The mean age of the girls was 18 years, within the range of 17 years to 22 years. Anaemia poses a significant threat on a worldwide scale; in the present study, it was observed that 22% of the girls are severely anaemic, 34% are moderately anaemic, 17% are mildly anaemic, and only 26% are non-anaemia, which is significantly alarming about their health condition. On the other hand, we calculated their body mass index (BMI) with height and weight. It was found that only 36% of girls had a normal BMI, while 44% of the girls were underweight, which also raises concerns about their health issues for the near future. Although no direct relation can be drawn between the severity of anaemia and BMI, the parameters can help to express one's overall health status and can be used to improve health rights from adolescence.