The prevelance of anemia and nutrional anemia among the primary school children in Aydin city

AIM: To determine the prevelance of anemia and nutritional anemia among the primary school children in Aydın city center.MATERIAL AND METHOD: In Aydın city center, totally 496 students (56% of them were girls), choosen using stratified random sampling method from the primary schools located in socioeconomically low, medium, high primary health care center regions, were enrolled to the study. The mean values age of the students was 10,2±2. The permission for the study was taken from the Aydın office of the governor and from the directorship of the national education, also written informed consent was taken from the families. The questionnaire form was filled by the parents. All the children?s physical examination, weight and height measurements were performed by the same pediatrician, the blood samples were taken by the child nurse. The serum samples were studied in the biochemistry and hematology laboratories of Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty. Statistical analysis was performed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, student t test, Mann Whitney U test and chi-square test.RESULTS: The prevelance of anemia, iron-deficiency (ID), iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), vitamin B12 deficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia were 15,7%, 38,7%, 8,3%, 9,1%, 0,8%, respectively. No folic acid deficiency was detected. Among the anemias, 42% of them were microcytic, 58% of them were normocytic and the 45,5% of the microcyctic anemias were IDA. Among the girls, the ratio of ID was 45,1%, the ratio of IDA was 11,6%, while in boys the same ratios were 30,6% and 4,1%, respectively (p<0,05). Microcytosis was present in 36,5% of the IDA. The Mentzer index was <13 in 13,3% of the children with microcytic anemia and IDA, and in 77,7% of the children with microcytic anemia and no IDA (p<0.001). Previous history of anemia diagnosis and iron treatment ratios were 33,3% and 29,5% among the anemic children, and the same ratios were 18,2% and 15,6% in children without anemia. Of the children, 19,8% of the students with IDA and 19,5% of the students without IDA got iron treatment before. In sociodemographic properties of children; only significant statistically difference was between mother education and anemia.IN CONCLUSION: According to World Health Organization, anemia prevalence among primary school children in Aydın city center constitutes a low level social heath problem. Enlightening the reason of anemia among pre- children, proper treatment of nutritional anemia cases with adequate period and dose, dietary organizations and proper follow-up will lower the incidence of anemia and nutritional anemia among primary school children. Owing to the fact that one out of five children with iron-deficiency anemia got treatment previously; it seems that adequate treatment and proper follow-up are not carried out sufficiently. Therefore, screening programmes should be performed among school age children.Key words: Anemia, prevalance, scool age children, iron, B12, folic acid