Prevalence of suspected anemia in Japanese young children determined using noninvasive hemoglobin measurements: an observational study
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Updated: Jun 4, 2025
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Yoshitaka Nakamura1, Megumu Igawa2, Shinji Jinno2
1Department of Nutritional Science, Sendai Seiyo Gakuin College, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
Insights
Noninvasive spot hemoglobin (SpHb) measurement in Japanese children (1-5 years) revealed a 3%-8% prevalence of suspected anemia. SpHb levels varied by age and sex, indicating these factors influence anemia risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Anemia diagnosis traditionally relies on invasive blood hemoglobin concentration measurement.
- Noninvasive spot hemoglobin (SpHb) measurement using Pulse CO-Oximeter Rad-67™ (Rad-67) offers a potential alternative.
- Understanding SpHb distribution is crucial for assessing anemia prevalence in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the distribution of SpHb in Japanese children aged 1-5 years.
- To determine the prevalence of suspected anemia based on SpHb levels.
- To examine the relationship between SpHb and demographic factors like age and sex.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale survey involving 4,133 Japanese children aged 1-5 years.
- SpHb measurements were conducted using the Rad-67 device by trained nutritionists or dietitians.
- Data were stratified by age and sex to analyze prevalence and influencing factors.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of suspected anemia, defined by WHO thresholds, was 5.2% (ranging 2.6%-7.8%).
- Mean SpHb values demonstrated an increasing trend with age.
- Higher SpHb levels were observed in boys, with age and sex independently related to SpHb.
Conclusions:
- Noninvasive SpHb measurement is a viable tool for estimating anemia prevalence in young children.
- Approximately 3%-8% of young children in Japan may be suspected of having anemia.
- Age and sex are significant factors influencing SpHb levels in this pediatric cohort.
Abstract:
Recently, noninvasive spot hemoglobin measurement (SpHb) using Pulse CO-Oximeter Rad-67™ Spot-check (Rad-67) has been validated, although anemia diagnosis typically relies on blood hemoglobin concentration measurement. In this large-scale survey of Japanese children aged 1-5 years, we evaluated SpHb distribution to understand the prevalence of suspected anemia, and further examined the relationship between SpHb and background factors. Children were recruited from large retail stores in Japan between November 2022 and August 2023. SpHb was measured by nutritionists or registered dietitians using Rad-67. Four thousand one hundred thirty-three participants were included and stratified by age and sex. The prevalence of children below the World Health Organization threshold value for anemia was found to be 5.2% in total (ranging between 2.6% and 7.8% in subgroups). Mean SpHb values increased with age, and were higher in boys. Age and sex were independently related to SpHb. Overall, this study shows that approximately 3%-8% of young children in Japan are suspected to be anemic.
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