Anaemia in Relation to Body Mass Index (BMI) and Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Adult Nigerians in Ebonyi State.
BACKGROUND
Anaemia, a multifactorial health challenge has been found to affect every stage of human development with negative health impacts. Providing information on the factors associated with Anaemia will help in formulating mitigating strategies against this important public health problem.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of Anaemia and its relationship with body mass index (BMI) and sociodemographic characteristics in adult Nigerians in Ebonyi State, South-eastern Nigeria.


METHODS
Adults (n=428) aged ≥ 18 y (mean=38.4±13.7 y) randomly selected from 130 political wards from the 13 Local Government Areas of the state were studied. Sociodemographic data was collected with questionnaire while blood samples were collected for hemoglobin determination using colorimetric cyanmethemoglobin method. Data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS(®) for Windows(®) ver. 16).


RESULTS
In general, 21.7% of the subjects were anemic with Anaemia prevalence of 9.9%, 15.8% and 39.8% in male, non-pregnant and pregnant female, respectively. About four percent (3.7%) of the subjects were underweight, while 37.6% had excess weight with hemoglobin concentration having no relationship with BMI and sociodemographic parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
It may be conclude that the Anaemia in adult Nigerians in Ebonyi State has no definite relationship with BMI and sociodemographic characteristics studied. Further studies are needed to document other factors that may be associated with Anaemia among adults in the State.
Senior Lecturer, Departments of Chemical Pathology and Biochemistry, Ebonyi State University , P.M.B. 053 Abakaliki, Nigeria .
Emmanuel Ike
EI
Ugwuja
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Ebonyi State University , P.M.B. 053 Abakaliki, Nigeria .
Lawrence Ulu
LU
Ogbonnaya
Senior Mobilising Officer, Department of Social Mobilisation and Disease Control, National Obstetric Fistula Centre , Abakaliki .
Akuma Johnson
AJ
Obuna
Senior Lecturer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ebonyi State University , P.M.B. 053 Abakaliki, Nigeria .
Femi
F
Awelegbe
Senior Research Fellow, Department of Research, Planning and Statistics, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki .
Henry
H
Uro-Chukwu
Adults; Anaemia; Body mass index; Malnutrition; Nigerians; Sociodemographic parameters