Title: [Prevalence of anemia in clients of a family planning clinic in Merida]

POPLINE Document Number: 018105

Author(s):

Canto de Cetina TE
Cardenas S
Pina Castro R
Cupul G

Source citation:

Salud Publica de Mexico, 1983 Mar-Apr;25(2):173-6.

Abstract:

305 low income women living in marginal areas and without access to any kind of social security participated in a study of the prevalence of anemia conducted at a family planning clinic in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. The women were reproductive age, had a minimum of 2 children, and had not used oral contraceptives or injectable methods for a minimum of 3 and 6 months, respectively. 41 women were aged 15-19, 81 were 20-24, 70 were 25-29, 67 were 30-34, 33 were 35-39, and 13 were 40-44. 73 were illiterate, 192 had incomplete primary educations, 31 had complete primary educations, and 9 had higher educations. The majority of women had no history of serious pathology except that 270, or 88.5%, reported intestinal parasites. The average hemoglobin level was 10.88 g/dl with a standard deviation of 1.48. The majority of the women had hemoglobin values between 9-11.9 g/dl; 76% therefore were anemic according to a criterion of the World Health Organization (WHO), which considers 12.0 g/dl of hemoglobin as the lower limit in nonpregnant women. 48 women, or 20.68%, had iron deficiency anemia according to WHO definitions. Other findings of the hematological studies were an average hematocrit of 36%, serum iron level of 84.4 ug/dl, and an index of saturation of 23.8%. The women had a considerably higher rate of anemia than a group of young, healthy, childless, and well norished women studied in the same city. The higher frequency of anemia should be considered in prescribing contraceptive methods. (summary in ENG)

Keywords:

Mexico
Latin America
South America, Central
Low Income Population
Family Planning Acceptor Characteristics
Hemoglobin Level
Age Distribution
Socioeconomic Factors
Parasitic Diseases
Serum Iron Level
Americas
Hematocrit
North America
Developing Countries
South America
Social Class
Socioeconomic Status
Economic Factors
Family Planning Acceptors
Family Planning Programs
Family Planning
Hemic System
Physiology
Biology
Age Factors
Population Characteristics
Demographic Factors
Population
Diseases
Developed Countries
Laboratory Procedures
Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses
Examinations and Diagnoses