Premium
Haematological Status of the Central American Population: Prevalence of Individuals with Haemoglobin Levels below ‘Normal’
Author(s) -
Viteri F. E.,
Guzmán M. A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1972.tb03487.x
Subject(s) - demography , altitude (triangle) , population , effects of high altitude on humans , biology , mathematics , geometry , sociology , anatomy
S ummary . A statistically representative sample of 6009 subjects in Central America has been studied to determine the prevalence of individuals with haemoglobin values carrying different risks of belonging to a population with deficient haemoglobin concentration. Haemoglobin values associated with 20% and 75% chance of belonging to the latter population have been determined, for various altitude‐age‐sex categories by studying a highly selected, biochemically normal population, and by determining the mean and standard deviation of the normally distributed segment of the total distribution for each altitude‐age‐sex category. The prevalence of individuals with greater than 20% chance of belonging to a population with subnormal haemoglobin values is, on average, 27.6% (range 19.3‐54.7) for altitudes between 0 and 749 m above sea level, 25.5% (range 6.2‐35.0) for altitudes between 750 and 1499 m above sea level, and 24.9% (range 18.6‐30.7) for altitudes between 1500 and 2800 m above sea level. The prevalence of individuals with more than a 75% chance of belonging to a population with subnormal haemoglobin for the same three altitudes above sea level is, on average, 19.7%, 12.6% and 11.7%, respectively. Their corresponding ranges are 12.1‐38.7, 3.0‐17.5 and 7.4‐16.7. This study shows that the prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin concentration below the level which carries a risk greater than 75% of belonging to a population with subnormal haemoglobin) is very high in Central America. Particularly vulnerable groups are 1–4‐yr‐old children, and 13–16‐yr‐old females at altitudes between 0 and 750 m, and both males and females of 17 yr and older. The adult male population does not differ from the adult female population as far as the prevalence of anaemia is concerned. The reasons for these findings are discussed, particularly with regard to iron and folate intakes, hookworm infection and iron sweat loss.