Risk factors for anemia in Vietnam.
Anemia is a significant public health problem in Vietnam, but representative national data and comprehensive risk factors analysis are lacking. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the distribution and severity of anemia in Vietnam, and 2) to assess potential risk factors for anemia. Nine thousand five hundred fifty households in 53 provinces were covered using a stratified two-stage cluster survey carried out in 1995. Selected household members were interviewed; intestinal helminthes were tested in non-pregnant women by Kato-Katz technique; hemoglobin concentrations were measured with Hemocue. Data were weighted and analyzed by survey procedures using SAS 9.0. Overall, 60% of children under 2 years old, 53% of pregnant women, 40% of non-pregnant women and 15.6% of men were anemic. Hookworm infection was the strongest factor associated with anemia (OR = 1.7; 2.9 and 4.5 for 11,999, 2,000-3,999 and > or = 4,000 hookworm egg counts, respectively) and accounted for 22% of anemia. Hookworm intensity was significantly associated with hemoglobin level; for each 1,000 egg increase, hemoglobin was reduced by 2.4 g/l. Living in different ecological zones, eating < 1 serving of meat/ week, and farming were significantly associated with anemia in women and children. Other risk factors in women included having > 3 children and having a child < 24 months old. In men, no variables were found significantly associated with anemia.
Nguyen
Phuong H
PH
Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Graduate School of Art and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta GA, 30322, USA. phnguye@sph.emory.edu
Nguyen
Khan C
KC
Le Mai
B
B
Nguyen
Tam V
TV
Ha
Khoi H
KH
Bern
Caryn
C
Flores
Rafael
R
Martorell
Reynaldo
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014504:Urban Health; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology