Background and Aims: The study aimed to determine the proportion of iron deficiency (ID) anemia (IDA) among vegans in northeast Thailand and to explore whether mathematical formulas derived from red blood cell (RBC) indices are applicable for IDA screening in the study population. Methods: Blood samples from 234 individuals (age 6–45 years) living in a vegan community were taken. Complete blood cell count, serum ferritin, hemoglobin profiles and DNA analysis for α-thalassemia were determined. Anemia was defined using the WHO criteria adjusted for age and sex. Serum ferritin <15 ng/ml was considered as ID. A number of mathematical formulas derived from RBC indices were applied to screen ID among anemic individuals. Results: Anemia was found in 41.5% (95% CI = 35.1–48.1%) of the study participants. The overall proportion of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies was 56.4% (95% CI = 49.8–62.9%). Of the anemic participants, 45.4% had ID. Based on the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, 4 formulas were applicable for predicting ID among anemic individuals (highest sensitivity of 86.4%). Conclusions: The proposed formulas might be used as proxy indicators for the identification of ID among anemic children and adult vegans if more sophisticated laboratory determinations are not available due to limited financial resources.

Background and Aims: Information about the extent to which anemia is related to thalassemia and iron deficiency (ID) is not available in Vietnam. This study investigated the burden of anemia in relation to thalassemia and ID among Vietnamese pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thua Thien Hue, Central Vietnam. Blood samples taken from 399 pregnant women with a gestational age <12 weeks were analyzed. Anemia was defined as Hb levels <11 g/dl, and ID as ferritin values <15 ng/ml. Results: Out of 399 participants, 77 (19.3%) were anemic. While the prevalence of ID was 20.1%, the prevalence of ID anemia was 6.0%. The overall prevalence of thalassemia was 7.3%. Of the 77 anemic women, 24 (31.2%) had ID, and 20 (26.0%) had thalassemia genes. The rest (42.9%) were anemic due to unknown causes. Conclusions: The results indicate that ID remains a significant health burden among the study population, together with anemia caused by unknown factors. Thalassemias appear not to contribute to a great extent to anemia among Vietnamese pregnant women. Other causes need to be investigated further in order to develop an effective control program for anemia within the population.

A community-based assessment of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies was conducted at the Thua Thien Hue Province, Central Vietnam. By cluster sampling, a total of 410 pregnant women attending the antenatal care service at 30 commune health centers were recruited consecutively from September 2011 to June 2012. Hemoglobin (Hb) analysis was performed using an automated Hb analyzer. α-Thalassemia (α-thal) genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques. Out of the 410 pregnant women, 2.7% carried α(0)-thal and 1.2% were β-thal carriers. One woman with the - -(THAI) deletion was also found. Among the females under survey, structural Hb variants with 3.2% Hb E [β26(B8)Glu→Lys, GAG>AAG; HBB: c.78G>C] and 3.7% Hb Constant Spring [Hb CS; α142, Term→Gln, TAA>CAA (α2); HBA2: c.427T>C] were found. Assessing the frequency of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies by ethnicity, Kinh (Vietnamese) and ethnic minority groups, Hb CS with a high frequency of 24.0% was observed in the ethnic minority groups. These results provide basic population-based information, are useful not only for implementing measures for prevention and control of thalassemias in the region but also for studying the importance of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in ethnic minorities within Southeast Asia.