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Unexplained decline in the prevalence of anemia among US children and women between 1988–1994 and 1999–2002
Author(s) -
Cusick Sarah E,
Mei Zuguo,
Freedman David S,
Looker Anne C,
Ogden Cynthia L,
Gunter Elaine,
Cogswell Mary E
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.299.6
Subject(s) - anemia , medicine , hemoglobin , transferrin saturation , ferritin , iron deficiency anemia , logistic regression , iron deficiency , gastroenterology , pediatrics
We used data from the 1988–1994 and 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to examine recent anemia changes in US children and women. We calculated the prevalence of anemia [hemoglobin <11.0 g/dL (<24 m), <11.1 g/dL (24–59 m), <12.0 g/dL (women)], iron deficiency anemia (anemia + abnormal value ≥2: serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, erythrocyte protoporphyrin) and high blood lead (≥10 μg/dL) and anemia in children 12–59 m and women 20–49 y. In women we also calculated the prevalence of folate deficiency (erythrocyte folate <317.2 nmol/L) and anemia and high C‐reactive protein (>10 mg/L) and anemia. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare total and type‐specific anemia between surveys, controlling for race, age and sex. Anemia declined significantly in children (from 8.0% to 3.6%, OR=0.4; 95% CI: 0.3, 0.7) and women (10.8% to 6.9%, 0.6; 0.4, 0.7). The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia did not change significantly in children (1.5% vs. 1.2%, 0.7; 0.4, 1.5) or women (4.9% vs. 4.1%, 0.8; 0.6, 1.1). Folate deficiency and anemia declined significantly in women (4.1% to 0.5%, 0.1; 0.1, 0.2), but none of the types of anemia explained the decline in total anemia when included in multivariate models. Anemia declined significantly in US women and children between 1988–1994 and 1999–2002, but the decline was not associated with changes in iron or folate deficiency, inflammation or blood lead.