title: Anemia in remote interior communities in Sarawak, Malaysia.
abstract: A cross-sectional survey of 365 individuals, (51.9% males, 48.1% females; ages 5-85 years), from five remote interior communities in upper Rejang River basin Sarawak, Malaysia, found 24.4% were anemic. The range and mean of Hb concentration in male and female were: 7.2-17.0 mg/ml and 13.7 mg/ml and 7.9-15.7 mg/ml and 12.9 mg/ml respectively. Amongst the five tribes surveyed, the prevalence of anemia (range: 10.6-46.7%), was higher among the Penans (46.7%), Kenyahs (31.1%), Kajangs (27.8%) and Kayans (19.3%), than amongst the Ukits (10.6%). Anemia is more common among males >40 years and among adolescents and young reproductive females, as well as elderly females > 61 years old. Of the 83 anemic individuals, 6.0% and 3.6% had Trichuris trichiura or hookworm respectively; however there is no clear association with intestinal worm infection.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan. dsagin@fhs.unimas.my
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Sagin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamad
authors.forename: E K H
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Sya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence