Rural Adolescents and Anemia: Exploring the Role of Deworming

Background and objective Anemia is one of the most common nutritional deficiency disorders worldwide. In the developing world, such as a low-to-middle-income country like India, anemia is a major public health concern. India is home to 253 million adolescents, out of which 72 million were anemic in 2018. Uttar Pradesh has the largest adolescent population in India and has twice the number of anemia cases compared to other Indian states. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia in the adolescent age group, its relation to gender, and the role of deworming tablets in the prevention of anemia. Methods This study was conducted in a rural area of Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. Adolescent beneficiaries of the Anemia Mukt Bharat scheme were eligible to be included. The sample size was calculated to be 170. Hemoglobin evaluation was performed using a TrueHb hemoglobinometer. Results The overall prevalence of anemia was 102 (60.0%). There was a higher prevalence among females (n=75, 68.2%), compared to males (n=27, 45.0%). Moderate anemia was the most common entity, affecting 69 (67.6%) participants. Among individuals who had consumed deworming tablets in the last six months, 65 (59.1%) had anemia. Conclusions Anemia was significantly higher among females. Three-fourths of the anemic females and half of the anemic males had moderate anemia. Deworming alone is not effective in the prevention of anemia.