The Prevalence of Anemia and Hemoglobinopathies among Students: Cross Section Study

Abstract

Introduction: Nutritional anemia is a worldwide problem with the highest prevalence in developing countries. It is found especially among women of child-bearing age, young children and during pregnancy and lactation. It is estimated to affect nearly two-thirds of pregnant and one-half of nonpregnant women in developing countries, so we need to shed light on the prevalence of anemia and types among Iraqi young ages, to estimate the prevalence of anemia in an Al-Muthanna Medical College with abnormal CBC.
Methods: A cross-section study was carried out in the Faculty of the Medicine/University of Al- Muthanna, the participant was enrolled as a screening program for the evaluation of the spectrum of abnormal hemoglobin, for those who study in Al-Muthanna Medical College. A total of 278 patients with abnormal CBC included in this study, in the period between September 2018 to January 2019 were (139) female and (139) male in the same age, by using CBC and PCR to confirm anemia cases.
Results: The results show that only 110 cases from 287cases suffer from anemia, and anemia increased among women more than man and about 57 (20.5%) cases from 110 cases suffer from iron deficiency anemia followed by 31(11.2%) minor β-thalassemia and low percentage for another type of anemia.
Conclusions: Our results conclude that the most frequent cause of hypochromic and/or microcytic anemia in our population was iron deficiency Anemia and the minor β-thalassemia was the second because that needs more attention in the screening program.