Journal of Blood Medicine (Feb 2024)

Assessing Nutritional Anemia Among University Students in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A Public Health Perspective

  • Hakami W,
  • Dobie G,
  • Alneami KA,
  • Shaabi M,
  • Essawi K,
  • Saboor M,
  • Madkhali AM,
  • Nahari MH,
  • Almasoudi HH,
  • Akhter MS,
  • Hakami FH,
  • Zarbatan FA,
  • Hakamy A,
  • Chandika RM,
  • Fageehi AA,
  • Mobarki AA,
  • Hamali HA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 51 – 60

Abstract

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Waleed Hakami,1 Gasim Dobie,1 Khadija A Alneami,1 Misk Shaabi,1 Khaled Essawi,1 Muhammad Saboor,2 Aymen M Madkhali,1 Mohammed H Nahari,3 Hassan H Almasoudi,3 Mohammad S Akhter,1 Fasial H Hakami,4 Fatimah A Zarbatan,5 Ali Hakamy,6 Rama M Chandika,7 Ali A Fageehi,1 Abdullah A Mobarki,1 Hassan A Hamali1 1Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 3Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 5Respiratory Care Department, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan, Ministry of Health, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Respiratory Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Gizan, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Hassan A Hamali, Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, P.O. Box 1906, Gizan, 45142, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Nutritional anemia is a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly affecting young adults and children in Saudi Arabia, where inadequate nutrition is considered a primary contributing factor. This study aims to (i) examine the levels of serum iron, folate, and vitamin B12 in young adult students, with a focus on identifying any deficiencies and their association with anemia; (ii) explore the prevalence of mixed-deficiency anemia resulting from deficiencies in serum iron, folate, and vitamin B12 (iii) explore how sociodemographic characteristics and dietary habits influence serum iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study encompassed 158 young adult students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. Blood samples were collected following a comprehensive questionnaire addressing sociodemographic and health characteristics. These samples were analyzed for complete blood count, serum iron, folate, and vitamin B12 levels.Results: The findings of this study revealed a significant decrease in serum iron levels, with 70.6% of males and 88% in females exhibiting reduced level. Additionally, low levels of folate were observed in 4% of the study population, while deficiency in vitamin B12 was found in 2.2% of the study population. However, the simultaneous presence of low serum iron levels along with deficiencies in folate or vitamin B12 was not observed in the study participants.Conclusion: The study indicates that there is a high incidence of low serum iron and ferritin levels among university students in Saudi Arabia, which poses a considerable public health concern. Conversely, the prevalence of folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies among the students was comparatively low, and notably, there were no cases where these deficiencies were observed alongside iron deficiency.Keywords: anemia, folate, vitamin B12, serum iron, iron deficiency

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