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Anaemia among 6 year old children in the United Arab Emirates
A O Musaiger1, A Abdulghafoor, H Radwan
1Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, U.A.E. University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Objective:
The aim of this study is estimating the prevalence of anaemia among 6 year old children in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Subjects:
All new entries school children aged 6-6.9 years in six Emirates of UAE for the school year 1994/1995. The total children included were 11,800 (92% of total entries).
Measurements:
Haemoglobin concentration in blood. Anaemia was determined using WHO criteria (< 12 g/dl).
Results:
The total prevalence of anaemia was 31%. Boys were more susceptible than girls (P < 0.001), and national children were more likely to have anaemia than non-nationals (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Although the prevalence of anaemia has declined during 1981-1995, the current percentage of anaemia does not match with high socio-economic status and high coverage of health care in UAE.