Anaemia, iron deficiency and vitamin A status among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency and vitamin A status among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan and identify factors associated with anaemia in this population.


METHODS
A cross-sectional design.


METHODS
School-aged children in rural Kazakhstan.


METHODS
Socio-economic and anthropometric information was collected from 159 school-aged children living in the Kzyl-Orda region of Kazakhstan. Blood samples were collected and the concentrations of haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron, serum ferritin (SF), erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP), serum retinol and beta-carotene, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS) and other haematological indices were measured.


RESULTS
Among the 159 children, the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency defined by the multiple criteria model (SF, TS and EP) was 27% and 13%, respectively. Nine per cent had iron-deficiency anaemia and 21% had serum retinol value < 1.05 micromol l(-1). Mean SF and serum iron concentrations and TS were significantly lower in anaemic children than in their non-anaemic peers, while TIBC and EP were significantly higher in children with anaemia. Hb was significantly correlated with serum iron and retinol concentrations. Serum retinol and SF concentrations and mean corpuscular volume were significantly correlated with Hb by multiple regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Anaemia among school-aged children in rural Kazakhstan appears to be related to iron indices and vitamin A status.
Hashizume
Masahiro
M
Department of International Community Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. masahiro.hashizume@lshtm.ac.uk
Chiba
Momoko
M
Shinohara
Atsuko
A
Iwabuchi
Shigehiro
S
Sasaki
Satoshi
S
Shimoda
Taeko
T
Kunii
Osamu
O
Caypil
Wathan
W
Dauletbaev
Damir
D
Alnazarova
Akmaral
A
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007623:Kazakhstan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012424:Rural Population; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
D014801:Vitamin A; D007501:Iron