a comprehensive study on prevalence trends

In a recent study published in PLOS Global Public Health, researchers analyzed the change within the prevalence of anemia amongst adolescent women in India from 2015 to 2021. They identified the aspects related to anemia on this population.

Anemia is a significant health concern in India, particularly amongst women, because it affects the variety of erythrocytes and hemoglobin concentrations, resulting in decreased oxygen-carrying capability of blood.

Women are particularly vulnerable to low hemoglobin concentrations because of their unique physiological needs, including menstrual blood loss and pregnancy. Nonetheless, data on the anemia burden amongst Indian adolescent females is restricted, making it a big concern for females in India.

In regards to the study

In the current cross-sectional study, researchers investigated whether the prevalence rates of anemia amongst adolescent Indian women modified between 2015 and 2016 and between 2019 and 2021. As well as, they examined several aspects linked to anemia within the study population.

The researchers analyzed data obtained from adolescent females aged 15 to 19 who participated in rounds 4 (n=116,117) and 5 (n=109,400) of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Blood samples were obtained from all participants to measure hemoglobin levels. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was performed, and the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were determined.

Along with AOR values, bivariate statistics were used to discover significant risk determinants of anemia. Databases corresponding to the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed were looked for relevant scientific data, which was analyzed to acquire potential risk aspects for anemia. The determinants were divided into socioeconomic, biodemographic, geographic, behavioral, and health-associated groups.

The variables analyzed included marital status, parity, pregnancy and lactation status, education, social groups, religion, household wealth index, residence type, residence region, exposure to mass media, dietary habits, contraceptive usage, alcohol intake, tobacco use, body mass index (BMI) values, diabetes, and amenorrhea.

Non-adolescent individuals aged 20 to 49 years and people with missing information on anemia, social group, body mass index, and age at marriage were excluded from the evaluation. Anemia prevalence was evaluated on the national and state levels individually for each periods to extend the granularity of the study findings.

Combining each datasets enabled the evaluation of the independent effects of the yr of the survey on anemia prevalence. Variance Influence Aspects (VIFs) were calculated before the modeling evaluation.

Results and discussion

Among the many study participants, 10% of NFHS-4 and eight% of NFHS-5 participants were married prior to 18 years of age. Over 80% of NFHS-5 participants were single, and greater than 90% of the feminine adolescents were nulliparous in each NFHS rounds. Above 90% of participants weren’t pregnant or lactating during each rounds.

Most adolescents (80%) had attained secondary-level education, and 22% and 25% of NFHS-4 and 5 participants represented the scheduled tribe (ST). In each rounds, over 80% of adolescents were Hindus, 70% resided in rural regions, and 15% to twenty% had no prior mass media exposure. Further, over 70% were non-vegetarians, 40% had BMI values lower than 19, and barely over one percent of adolescents were amenorrhoeic.

Anemia prevalence amongst Indian adolescent females rose from 54% to 59% from 2015-2016 to 2019-2021. Out of 28 states of India, anemia prevalence increased in 21 states. Nonetheless, the extent of the elevation varied among the many Indian states. Tripura, Chhattisgarh, and Assam showed a substantial increase of 15 percent points, whereas Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Karnataka, and Punjab recorded a slight rise of lower than 5 percent points.

Of note, Kerala and Uttarakhand showed a drop within the prevalence rates of anemia through the period of the study. As well as, the count of Indian states with anemia prevalence rates of over 60% increased from five between 2015 and 2016 to 11 between 2019 and 2021.

Multiple anemia-related aspects were identified, including being uneducated, multiparous households, representing the bottom economic quintile, belonging to the ST group, being underweight, and the survey yr.

In India, anemia is a big issue amongst women. Women with higher education levels are less more likely to be anemic, as education improves nutrition and health knowledge, leading to raised dietary practices and anemia prevention. Wealthier households have higher access to nutritious food, healthcare, and improved living conditions, which can assist prevent anemia.

Nonetheless, women from the ST community have the next risk of anemia because of historical disadvantages, limited access to healthcare, undernutrition, discrimination, and early childbearing. Underweight women even have the next risk because of inadequate nutrient intake.

Implications

Overall, the study findings showed increased anemia prevalence amongst Indian adolescent females, providing helpful insights for policymakers and program implementers. The outcomes highlighted the necessity for increasing investments in maternal and neonatal wellness, in addition to health and nutrition-related educational programs, to diminish the anemia burden on Indian adolescent females.

Nonetheless, the likelihood of anemia was higher for ST group adolescents and people residing in eastern India, highlighting that state-specific and culture-specific interventions are required. Adolescent females who weren’t underweight showed a lower likelihood of being anemic, emphasizing the necessity for improved accessibility to health services and nutritious food.

The findings also indicated that anemia programs corresponding to the Poshan Abhiyan and the National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI) have to be continually monitored and evaluated to make sure effectiveness in decreasing anemia in the feminine adolescent population of India.