Prevalence of microcytic hypochromic anemia and their assosiated risk factor among female students of Sarhad University Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

Microcytic hypochromic anemia which is a type of blood condition in which the cells become paler and smaller than they should be and it is caused by many reasons that include nutritional deficiencies. Material and methods: It were a descriptive analytical and cross-sectional study conducted at Sarhad University Peshawar, Pakistan that included 50 females. This study was performed in the duration of four months. All the females who were pregnant students, those with prior diagnoses, and thalassemia-positive cases were excluded. Results: Within these 50 participants, the income groups were categorized showing a 35% prevalence of hypochromic microcytic anemia in the 40k-50k income group and 8.5% in the above 50k group. Stress groups showed a 20% prevalence of hypochromic microcytic anemia in those experiencing stress compared to 13.3% in the non-stress group, forming a basis for comparisons in our research analysis with 44 anemia-familiar participants and 6 non familiar participants. Conclusion: more anemia cases, specifically microcytic hypochromic anemia, were seen in higher-income families, especially those with incomes between 40k to 50k; Stress also seemed to play a role, as stressed students had a higher likelihood of having this type of anemia, highlighting the complex relationship between income, stress, and anemia prevalence.