Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Anaemia among Adolescent Girls in Rural Population: A Cross Sectional study

INTRODUCTION : Anaemia is a major public health problem in India. According to WHO, two billion people were affected by anaemia .Adolescence constitutes one fifth of the India’s population. Adolescence is nutritionally critical period of life. Anaemia and malnutrition are the major nutritional problems in adolescent girls in rural population. Anaemia in adolescent girls will affect the antenatal period, under five children and adolescent girls. OBJECTIVES : To estimate the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls in the rural population and to find the risk factors associated with the same. METHODOLOGY : A cross sectional study was conducted among 260 school going adolescent girls of age 13 to 17 years in rural population of Villupuram district from April to December 2015. A semi- structured questionnaire was used to collect socio demographic, dietary and menstruation related factors. Haemoglobin estimation was done by Cyanohaemoglobin method. Data were analysed by using SPSS 23 version. Chi square test was used for the analysis. RESULTS : The anaemia prevalence was estimated to be 74.6% and majority (65.8%) of them were found to be mild anaemic in this study. Anaemia prevalence was found to be higher than the NFHS estimates Risk factors associated with anaemia were found to be type of family, maternal education, socio economic status, increased frequency of junk food intake, IFA intake and menorrhagia in our study population. CONCLUSION : This study conclude that to prevent anaemia, intervention should start from childhood period of female child. In addition to that, health education should be targeted to mothers of adolescent girls about nutritious food