Anemia in adolescent girls: a preliminary report from semi-urban Nepal

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of anemia in adolescent Nepalese girls in a semi urban setting. A total of 209 apparently healthy girls between the ages of 11-18 years were recruited and information collected on menarcheal status and socio-demographic profile. All girls were subjected to anthropometric examination and hematocrit estimation. Anemia was defined as hematocrit less than 36, as per WHO cut-off. The overall prevalence of anemia was found to be 68.8%. This prevalence was not related to girls' age, body mass index, menarcheal status, and socio-demographic factors including parental education or occupation ( p = 0.05).