PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA IN SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN OF RURAL AND URBAN AREAS OF DISTRICT SHEIKHUPURA

Abstract

Anemia is a disorder in which the blood haemoglobin concentration falls below the normal level. It results from significant blood loss, parasite infections and a lack of one or more important nutrients. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia among school-going children in rural and urban areas of District Sheikhupura. Iron deficiency accounts for about half of all anemia cases with multifactorial infections and nutritional inadequacies serving as additional causes. Random sampling was used to access the incidence of anemia in school children of both rural and urban areas. Children aged 5 and 20 years living in rural and urban areas of District Sheikhupura were targeted. The overall prevalence of anemia was 40% among school-going children. Area wise prevalence showed that anemia was more prevalent in rural areas (46%) than in urban areas (34%). In rural areas, anemia prevalence was 48.3% in girls and 37.5% in boys. Mild anemia was the most common category in both rural (26%) and urban (27%) areas. Serum iron was below the normal level in 32% of rural children and 26% of urban children. Serum ferritin measured by ELISA, was below the normal level in 28% of rural children and 22% of urban children. Statistically significant differences between rural and urban children were observed for haemoglobin (p=0.031), serum ferritin (p=0.046) and MCH (p=0.021). Anemia remains a public health concern among school-going children in District Sheikhupura, particularly in rural areas and warrants targeted nutritional interventions.