[Risk factors on anemia among rural elderly women aged 50-75 y in Xinning county, Anhui province, China].
OBJECTIVE
To study the risk factors on anemia among elderly women in rural areas of Xiuning county, Anhui province, China.


METHODS
Xiuning county was selected as working field and elderly women aged 50-75 y were selected as subjects. Finger hemoglobin (Hb) was measured and basic health survey was face-to-face interviewed. 220 elderly women with anemia entered into the case group; and matched by age, another 220 women with normal Hb concentration entered the control group. Survey on diet, questionnaire regarding health and lifestyle and related blood indexes were studied and tested.


RESULTS
When comparing the data from both case and control groups, weight was (49.4 +/- 7.3) kg vs. (52.5 +/- 8.4) kg (t = 3.97, P < 0.01), waist circumference was (75.8 +/- 7.8) cm vs. (79.1 +/- 9.3) cm (t = 3.85, P < 0.01), BMI was (21.8 +/- 2.6) kg/m2 vs. (22.9 +/- 3.2) kg/m2 (t = 3.775, P < 0.01), respectively. The total protein was (76.4 +/- 5.0) g/L vs. (78.4 +/- 5.6)g/L (t = 3.83, P < 0.01), albumin was (45.7 +/- 3.1) g/L vs. (47.3 +/- 2.9)g/L (t = 5.24, P < 0.01), serum iron was ( 10.3 +/- 4.1) micromol/L vs. (12.7 +/- 4.6) micromol/L (t = 5.48, P < 0.01), and saturation of transferrin was (19.0 +/- 7.6)% vs. (23.1 +/- 9.1) % (t = 4.90, P < 0.01), respectively. Results from multifactor conditioned logistic regression analysis showed that the odd ratios (OR) for anemia with staple food, BMI and vitamin A were 1.54, 1.89, 1.69, and the OR for anemia with BMI, staple food, animal food, carbohydrate and vitamin A were 2.0, 1.6, 1.6, 1.4, 1.6, with their confidence intervals (CI) as 1.3-2.9, 1.1-2.3, 1.0-2.3, 1.0-2.1, 1.1-2.4, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of diet, health status and related blood indexes on anemia among elderly women were lower than that in control group. Lower BMI, less staple food and animal food, less carbohydrate and vitamin A intake appeared to be risk factors of anemia.
Zhang
Jian
J
National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China.
Wang
Chun-Rong
CR
Jin
Shao-Hua
SH
Song
Peng-Kun
PK
Meng
Li-Ping
LP
Man
Qing-Qing
QQ
Jia
Shang-Chun
SC
D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A
D014801:Vitamin A