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Anemia as an indicator of nutrition in children enrolled in a Head Start program
Insights
Anemia is a significant health issue for low-income children in Alachua County, Florida. Current government nutrition programs may not adequately address the nutritional needs of these vulnerable children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Alachua County, Florida, is recognized as a high-need area for child nutrition.
- The Head Start program serves low-income families, making its participants a key population for nutritional assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and distribution of anemia among children in the Head Start program.
- To assess the effectiveness of existing government nutrition programs in addressing anemia.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 467 children from the 1989-1990 school year.
- Analysis of hematocrit values to identify anemia.
- Comparison of anemia rates by race and geographic location (rural/urban).
Main Results:
- Twenty-one percent of children had low hematocrit values, indicating anemia.
- Black children, particularly males, exhibited higher rates of anemia compared to white children.
- Anemia prevalence was significant in both rural and urban subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Anemia represents a serious public health concern for low-income children in the study area.
- Existing nutritional support programs, such as food stamps and WIC, may be insufficient.
- Further investigation and intervention strategies are warranted to combat childhood anemia in underserved populations.
Abstract:
A retrospective chart review was conducted on the records of 467 children who were enrolled in the Head Start program in Alachua County, Florida, which is one of four counties in Florida cited among the 150 worst "hunger counties" in the United States by the Harvard University School of Public Health. The children were examined in the 1989-1990 school year by a team of nurse practitioners, and the data were analyzed to determine the incidence and distribution of anemia. Twenty-five percent of the sample was white, and 75% was black. One half of the white children and 20% of the black children attended schools in rural areas. The mean sample hematocrit value was 35.7%. Twenty-one percent of the sample had hematocrit values of less than 34.0%. More black children were anemic in both rural and urban groups. Black males had the highest rate of anemia at 27.3%; white females had the lowest rate of anemia at 9.8%. These data show that anemia is a serious problem among children from low-income families and suggest that government nutrition programs such as food stamps and WIC are not meeting the needs of these children.