Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prevalence And Possible Factors Associated With Anaemia, And Vitamin B 12 And Folate Deficiencies In Women Of Reproductive Age In Pakistan: Analysis Of National-Level Secondary Survey Data, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Gul Nawaz Khan, Kamran Sadiq, Shabina Ariff, Atif Habib, Sumra Kureishy, Imtiaz Hussain, Muhammad Umer, Zamir Suhag, Arjumand Rizvi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To determine the prevalence and possible factors associated with anaemia, and vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies in women of reproductive age (WRA) in Pakistan.
Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on data collected through the large-scale National Nutrition Survey in Pakistan in 2011. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels <12 g/dL, vitamin B12 deficiency as serum vitamin B12 levels of <203 pg/mL (150 pmol/L) and folate deficiency as serum folate levels <4 ng/mL (10 nmol/L).
Results: A total of 11751 blood samples were collected and analysed. The prevalence of anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and folate deficiency was 50.4%, 52.4% and 50.8%, respectively. After adjustment, the following factors were positively associated with anaemia: living in Sindh province (RR 1.07; 95%CI 1.04 to 1.09)P<0.00, food insecure with moderate hunger (RR 1.03; 95%CI 1.00 to 1.06)P=0.02, four or more pregnancies (RR 1.03; 95%CI 1.01 to 1.05)P<0.00, being underweight (RR 1.03; 95%CI 1.00 to 1.05)P=0.02, being overweight or obese (RR 0.95; 95%CI 0.93 to 0.97)P<0.00 and weekly intake of leafy green vegetables (RR 0.98; 95%CI 0.95 to 1.00)P=0.04. For vitamin B12 deficiency, a positive association was observed with rural population (RR 0.81; 95%CI 0.66 to 1.00)P=0.04, living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (RR 1.25; 95%CI 1.11 to 1.43)P<0.00 and living in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (RR 1.50; 95%CI 1.08 to 2.08)P=0.01. Folate deficiency was negatively associated with daily and weekly intake of eggs (RR 0.89; 95%CI 0.81 to 0.98)P=0.02 and (RR 0.88; 95%CI 0.78 to 0.99)P=0.03.
Conclusions: In Pakistan, …

Prevalence Of Iron Deficiency Anaemia In Children Of The Urban Slums Of Karachi, Ayesha Molla, Mohammad Khurshid, A. Majid Molla

Mohammad Khurshid

A preliminary baseline survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of anaemia in a group of 391 children aged 6-60 months, randomly selected from three urban slums of Karachi. Haemoglobin and the red cell indices including haematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, ABC and red cell distribution width (RDW) were estimated for each of the selected children. Ferritin estimation was done on 354 (9 1%) children to assess the iron storage status. According to WHO criteria, the accepted cut-off point for anaemia screening in children is set at 11 gm/dl, 70 fI and 20 pg for haemoglobin, MCV and MCH respectively. Following …

Anaemia In Pregnancy: Occurrence In Two Economically Different Clinic Populations Of Karachi, Saadiya Aziz Karim, Mohammad Khurshid, Javed H. Rizvi

Mohammad Khurshid

According to previous WHO standards, anaemia in pregnancy denoted a haemoglobin level of 11.0 gms/dl or less, but this is now considered to be variable1 as it differs from country to country depending on local reference ranges and socio-economic conditions. Each country should “lay down minimal acceptable standards” below which an individual is considered to be anaemic, taking into account the available fmancial and manpower resources and other health needs of the country2. There is a wide divergence in the quoted prevalence of anaemia in Pakistan and neigh­bouring countries.3-6 This study was undertaken to determine a range of haemoglobin levels …

Anaemia In Pregnancy - Its Cause In The Underprivileged Class Of Karachi, Saadiya Aziz Karim, Mohammad Khurshid, A.M. Memon, Sadiqua N. Jafarey

Mohammad Khurshid

A prospective study of the frequency and type of anaemia amongst poor urban parturients of Karachi was done. It was performed at 2 large teaching hospitals over the time span January to September, 1990. Out of 318 women studied, 104(32.7%) were anaemic (Hb levels <10gm/dl). The type of anaemia was assessed. Iron deficiency predominated and was seen amongst 63.5% of the anaemic population. There was an even distribution of other kinds of anaemia amongst the remainder of the population

Hookworm Infestation As A Cause Of Melena And Severe Anaemia In Farmer, Marvi Tariq, Syeda Maria Muzammil, Fareed Ahmed Sheikh, K. M. Inam Pal

Department of Surgery

Abstract

Hookworm infections remain a major cause of morbidity in the developing world. Prevalence is highest in agricultural areas, where use of waste water for irrigation and poor hygiene increases infection rates among farmers. Infections present with gastrointestinal symptoms and chronic anaemia, and there are usually no signs of overt blood loss.
The following report describes a case of melena in a middle-aged farmer, where the diagnosis of hookworm infestation was delayed due to the unusual presentation. The patient underwent multiple blood transfusions before referral to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi and was managed conservatively with mebendazole at …

Prevalence And Possible Factors Associated With Anaemia, And Vitamin B 12 And Folate Deficiencies In Women Of Reproductive Age In Pakistan: Analysis Of National-Level Secondary Survey Data, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Gul Nawaz Khan, Kamran Sadiq, Shabina Ariff, Atif Habib, Sumra Kureishy, Imtiaz Hussain, Muhammad Umer, Zamir Suhag, Arjumand Rizvi, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To determine the prevalence and possible factors associated with anaemia, and vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies in women of reproductive age (WRA) in Pakistan.
Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on data collected through the large-scale National Nutrition Survey in Pakistan in 2011. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels /dL, vitamin B12 deficiency as serum vitamin B12 levels of /mL (150 pmol/L) and folate deficiency as serum folate levels /mL (10 nmol/L).
Results: A total of 11 751 blood samples were collected and analysed. The prevalence of anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and folate deficiency was 50.4%, 52.4% and 50.8%, …