By Pooja Toshniwal PahariaSep 7 2023Reviewed by Sophia Coveney In a recent study published in PLOS Global Public Health, researchers analyzed the change in the prevalence of anemia among adolescent women in India from 2015 to 2021. They identified the factors associated with anemia in this population.
About the study In the present cross-sectional study, researchers investigated whether the prevalence rates of anemia among adolescent Indian women changed between 2015 and 2016 and between 2019 and 2021. In addition, they examined several factors linked to anemia in the study population. The variables analyzed included marital status, parity, pregnancy and lactation status, education, social groups, religion, household wealth index, residence type, residence region, exposure to mass media, dietary habits, contraceptive usage, alcohol intake, tobacco use, body mass index values, diabetes, and amenorrhea.
Results and discussion Among the study participants, 10% of NFHS-4 and 8% of NFHS-5 participants were married prior to 18 years of age. Over 80% of NFHS-5 participants were single, and more than 90% of the female adolescents were nulliparous in both NFHS rounds. Above 90% of participants were not pregnant or lactating during both rounds.
Of note, Kerala and Uttarakhand showed a drop in the prevalence rates of anemia during the period of the study. In addition, the count of Indian states with anemia prevalence rates of over 60% increased from five between 2015 and 2016 to 11 between 2019 and 2021. However, women from the ST community have a higher risk of anemia due to historical disadvantages, limited access to healthcare, undernutrition, discrimination, and early childbearing. Underweight women also have a higher risk due to inadequate nutrient intake.