No abstract

Anemia is a major public health problem in young children and pregnant women in South-East Asia, but a paucity of data on anemia in adolescent girls in India. Studies are lacking on the entire non-school going adolescent population. Objective·. To determine the prevalence of anemia in non-school going adolescent girls and the association between hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and socioeconomic and nutritional factors. Study group: A cross-sectional community study conducted on a sample of 1,937 healthy adolescent girls aged 11-19 years from three districts of Orissa, India. Methods'. Sample size was determined using a probability proportionate to size cluster sampling. The adolescent girls were interviewed and anthropometric measurements were collected. The Hb estimation was carried out in capillary blood samples using the cyanmethemoglobin method. Anemia and nutritional status were evaluated according to standard procedures. Results: The mean Hb concentration was 9.7±1.4 g/dL (range, 4.5-13.4 g/dL). Of the total adolescent girls, 1,869 (96.5%) were anemic (Hb<12.0 g/dL), of which, 45.2%, 46.9% and 4.4% had mild, moderate, and severe anemia, respectively. A significant curvilinear relation was found between Hb concentration and age, with the nadir of the curve occurring in the 12-14 years age group. Girls from Bargarh district had significantly lower mean Hb levels than those from the Jajpur and Khurda districts. Significant positive associations were found between Hb concentration and pre-menarche, community, education levels of girls and their parents' family income, body mass index, and mid-upper arm circumference. This study revealed that prevalence of anemia was extremely high in non-school going adolescent girls (most were moderately anemic) and stressed the need for more research and public health interventions.

Study results show moderate iodine deficiency with poor community knowledge of iodine nutrition. There is need to strengthen the monitoring of salt iodization and intensive education activities in the tribal areas.

The study indicates moderate iodine deficiency in the population, despite a mandatory salt iodization programme in Orissa that has been in force since 1989. There is a need to improve the situation through enforcing monitoring of salt iodization to ensure quality and increasing the level of awareness about the iodized salt for sustainable prevention and control of iodine deficiency.