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Anaemia, its correlation with overweight and growth patterns in children aged 5-10 years living in American Samoa

Teresa M Kemmer1, Rachel Novotny, A Sam Gerber

  • 1Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Hospitality, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007-0497, USA. teresa.kemmer@sdstate.edu

Public Health Nutrition
|June 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Anaemia is prevalent in 17.3% of American Samoan children aged 5-10. Risk factors include lower maternal education and lack of household amenities, with higher rates in females with elevated BMI Z-scores.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Anaemia prevalence and growth patterns in American Samoan children are not well-documented.
  • Understanding these health indicators is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Determine anaemia prevalence and identify its predictors in American Samoan children (5-10 years).
  • Compare anaemia rates and growth patterns to US national data (CDC) and previous American Samoan data.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 208 children aged 5-10 years in American Samoa.
  • Data collection included haemoglobin levels, Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-scores, and weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ).
  • Statistical analyses compared findings to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III and CDC reference data.

Main Results:

  • 17.3% prevalence of anaemia (Hb < 11.5 g/dl) was observed.
  • Females with higher BMI Z-scores and WAZ showed a greater prevalence of anaemia.
  • Risk factors identified include lower maternal education, and lack of a car or phone.

Conclusions:

  • Anaemia is a significant public health concern in American Samoan children.
  • Children in American Samoa exhibit taller, heavier, and more overweight growth patterns compared to reference data.
  • Further research is needed to investigate the causes of both anaemia and overweight conditions.
Abstract

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