Prevalence of Anemia Among Adolescent Girls Residing in Rural Haryana: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundAnemia continues to be a major public health problem in India despite multiple initiatives to address it among various vulnerable groups including adolescents. AimThis study was conducted to assess the prevalence of anemia among rural adolescent girls who had attained menarche. MethodsThe community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 28 villages of Ballabgarh Block of district Faridabad, Haryana. From the computerized Health Management Information System data (HMIS), a random list of 363 adolescent girls was generated. Adolescent girls who had attained menarche were included in the study. Hemoglobin level was measured for all the consented or assented participants using a digital hemoglobinometer (HemoCue201+ photometer, HemoCue AB, Angelholm, Sweden). ResultsA total of 272 participants were enrolled in the study. Mean (SD) age at menarche was 13.2 (1.2) years. Prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls who had attained menarche was observed to be 71.7% (95% CI: 66.3 -77.1) as per the WHO classification. Among the 195 anemic adolescent girls, severe, moderate, and mild anemia was observed in 4.8%, 41.2%, and 25.7%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, after adjusting for the age, the mother's education was significantly associated with anemia (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22 -0.96, p-value = 0.04). ConclusionThe prevalence of anemia among rural adolescent girls who had attained menarche was high. Mother's education status had a protective effect on anemia among adolescent girls.

Prevalence of Anaemia among Adolescent Girls on Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) and Non WIFS Group in Rural Schools of Mangalore, Karnataka; a Comparative Study

“…In this study the mean age of menarche was 12 years, similarly in a study by Subramanian M et al mean (SD) age at menarche was 13.2 (1.2) years. 13 Further in the present study, there was no significant association between attainment of menstruation with anemia and among those who attained menarche there was no significant difference in prevalence of anemia between government and private school girls. Similarly in the study by Subramanian M et al, there was no significant association between age at menarche and menstrual history with anemia.…”

“…Similarly in the study by Subramanian M et al, there was no significant association between age at menarche and menstrual history with anemia. 13…”

Anemia, a moderate public health problem among adolescent school girls in Aysaita district, the pastoral community of the Afar region, Ethiopia

“…However, the prevalence was higher than studies in rural Ethiopia, 8.7% (Seyoum et al , 2019), Bahir Dar City, 11.1% (Mengistu et al , 2019), Nepal, 14.74% (Budhathoki et al , 2021) and lower than studies conducted in three districts of Ethiopia, 29% (Gebreyesus et al , 2019), eastern Ethiopia, 32% (Teji et al , 2016), southwest Ethiopia, 26.7% (Fentie et al , 2020), west Ethiopia, 39% (Tura et al , 2020), Oromia Ethiopia, 27% (Regasa and Haidar, 2019), Kenya, 26.5% (Nelima, 2015), Pakistan, 47.9% (Habib et al , 2020), India, range from 48.63% to 87% (Ahankari et al , 2017; Chandrakumari et al , 2019; Chapparbandi and Nigudgi, 2016; Arya et al , 2017; Kamble et al , 2021; Subramanian et al , 2022) and Indonesia, 44% (Agustina et al , 2021). The variation might be differences in sociodemographic status, educational status, health service accessibility, household food security, awareness of dietary diversity, dietary intake, study periods, study settings, sample size and target population.…”