Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 13, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Anaemia among adolescents: assessing a public health concern in Lao PDR
Sengchanh Kounnavong1, Manithong Vonglokham1, Thidatheb Kounnavong2
1Lao Tropical and Public Health institute, Ministry of Health, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Background:
Lao PDR has identified the need to target adolescent public health concerns. Adolescents suffering from poor health and nutrition during rapid growth and development may be at risk of anaemia due to high iron requirements and the rapid depletion of body iron stores.
Objective:
This study assessed the prevalence and severity of anaemia among school adolescents in Pholhong district, Vientiane province, Lao PDR.
Methods:
A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 randomly selected school adolescents across 8 high schools in a rural district of Vientiane province. Adolescents aged 10-18, both male and female, were recruited. Haemoglobin concentration from capillary blood was measured. Descriptive statistics were computed for prevalence of anaemia, anthropometric measurements, socio-economic and socio-demographic variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of anaemia among subjects. Results were expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
Results:
The prevalence of anaemia among adolescents in the study area was 19.4%. There was no difference in the prevalence of anaemia between younger and older adolescents, but the prevalence of anaemia was higher in female adolescents than among males (crude OR = 3.91, 95% CI 2.20 to 6.96). On univariate analysis, coming from an ethnic minority household was found to be significantly associated with anaemia among these adolescents (p < 0.05). After adjusting for other variables, only the effect of sex remained significant. Other factors showing no significant association with anaemia included parents' employment status, family size, and living conditions.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of anaemia in this population is of public health concern with adolescents of both sexes at risk of developing anaemia. The national nutrition programme to control and manage anaemia by distributing a weekly iron and folate supplement for adolescent girls together with a deworming programme twice per year appears to have partly successful but could be strengthened.
More Related Videos
03:35Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 1, 2023
10:57Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Related Concept Videos
01:27Disorders of Erythrocytes
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...
01:24Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:14Erythropoiesis
00:57The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements
01:24Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations