title: Burden of anemia in relation to thalassemia and iron deficiency among Vietnamese pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Information about the extent to which anemia is related to thalassemia and iron deficiency (ID) is not available in Vietnam. This study investigated the burden of anemia in relation to thalassemia and ID among Vietnamese pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thua Thien Hue, Central Vietnam. Blood samples taken from 399 pregnant women with a gestational age <12 weeks were analyzed. Anemia was defined as Hb levels <11 g/dl, and ID as ferritin values <15 ng/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 399 participants, 77 (19.3%) were anemic. While the prevalence of ID was 20.1%, the prevalence of ID anemia was 6.0%. The overall prevalence of thalassemia was 7.3%. Of the 77 anemic women, 24 (31.2%) had ID, and 20 (26.0%) had thalassemia genes. The rest (42.9%) were anemic due to unknown causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that ID remains a significant health burden among the study population, together with anemia caused by unknown factors. Thalassemias appear not to contribute to a great extent to anemia among Vietnamese pregnant women. Other causes need to be investigated further in order to develop an effective control program for anemia within the population.
authors: Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
authors: Sirivara
authors: S
authors: Siridamrongvattana
authors: Nguyen
authors: N
authors: Van Hoa
authors: Kanokwan
authors: K
authors: Sanchaisuriya
authors: Nguyen
authors: N
authors: Dung
authors: Phan Thi Thuy
authors: PT
authors: Hoa
authors: Pattara
authors: P
authors: Sanchaisuriya
authors: Goonnapa
authors: G
authors: Fucharoen
authors: Supan
authors: S
authors: Fucharoen
authors: Frank P
authors: FP
authors: Schelp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology