Background: Anemia is a major public health problem in India, particularly among adolescent girls contributing not only to high maternal mortality but also to increased perinatal mortality and morbidity in the future life.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and the demographic, socioeconomic, and nutritional correlates for anemia in adolescent girls in an urban slum of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Materials and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 adolescent girls (10-19 years) in a slum area of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh from June 2015 to May 2016. A pre-designed and pre-tested pro forma was used to collect the information regarding sociodemographic, menstrual, and dietary factors. Hemoglobin estimation was done using automatic blood analyzer. Statistical analysis was done by mean, standard deviation, and Chi-square test.
Results: The prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls was found to be 78.5%, of which 40% had mild, 33% had moderate, and 5.5% had severe anemia. Anemia was significantly higher among the adolescent girls whose mothers were either illiterate or having only primary education and those belonging to lower socioeconomic status.
Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia is alarmingly high among adolescent girls of urban slums. A special attention is needed to improve their hemoglobin status through proper implementation of intervention programs such as iron and folic acid supplementation and dietary modifications along with special emphasis on health education.
Key words: Anemia; Adolescent Girls; Prevalence; Slums
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