A community survey of haematological values in rural Nigeria

Most studies on haematological values in Nigeria have been in hospital patients. The present study provides information on haematological values of red blood cell counts, haematocrit, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, blood groups and genotypes. The study shows that there is agreement in some respects between the values obtained and those available in standard text books. It also shows that the values are influenced by sex and dietary in-take. Differences in ethnic composition of different populations studied previously was concluded from the differences in the blood genetics of the study population and of those previously reported elsewhere in Nigeria. Iron deficiency anaemia was established using haematological values.