Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
Prevalence of Anemia, Iron Deficiency Anemia, and Associated Factors Among Blood Donors in West Cameroon; an
Josué Louokdom Simo1, Romaric De Manfouo Tuono1,2, Laurenne Alicia Kouaya2
1Higher Institute of Health Sciences Université des Montagnes Bangangté Cameroon.
Background And Aim:
Anemia in general and iron deficiency constitute a public health problem, particularly about blood donation. Blood donation can lead to anemia, particularly deficiency anemia under certain conditions. This study therefore aims to determine the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia in blood donors and identify associated factors.
Methods:
We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study over 4 months. Blood donors were recruited at the blood bank of the Bafoussam Regional Hospital. Blood samples were collected in EDTA and dry tubes for biological tests, among which full blood counts, serum ferritin level, and serum iron following standard assay protocols (flow cytometry, sandwich Elisa, and spectrophotometric). The results obtained were analyzed using R software version 4.3.2. The significance threshold for analyses was set at p value < 0.05.
Results:
In total, 210 blood donors were included in the study. The sex ratio was 5.3 in favor of men. The mean age was 29.69 ± 7.98 years. The most common type of donation was paid donation (38.6%); 70% of the donations were sporadic. Out of the 210 donors, 63 (30%) had anemia, and 45 (21.4%) had iron deficiency. The mean hemoglobin level was 10.81 ± 0.89 g/dL in anemic donors (AD), and 12.84 ± 1.18 g/dL in non-anemic donors (NAD) (p < 0.001). The mean red blood cell count was 4.67 ± 0.55 T/L in AD and 5.21 ± 0.62 T/L in NAD (p < 0.001). The mean hemoglobin levels were 10.8 ± 0.87 g/dL in AD, and 12.9 ± 1.17 g/dL in NAD (p < 0.001). Serum iron level differed in AD compared to NAD with respective means of 305 ± 128 µg/dL in AD and 386.00 ± 207 µg/dL in NAD (p < 0.001). Macroplateletosis was identified as a predictive factor of iron deficiency anemia during blood donation (OR = 2.93; 95% CI = [1.00; 8.59]; p = 0.054).
Conclusion:
This study reports a high frequency of iron deficiency anemia in blood donors. This suggests a systematic exploration of anemia and iron deficiency anemia in blood donors is useful to preserve donor safety and ensure the efficacy of blood transfusion.
More Related Videos
04:43COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah
Published on: June 24, 2025
05:23Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Related Concept Videos
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...
01:15Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
02:45Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...