Anemia, malaria and hookworm infections in a Vietnamese ethnic minority
Le Hung, Q.; de Vries, P.J.; Giao, P.T.; Binh, T.Q.; Nam, N.V.; Kager, P.A.
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 36(4): 816-821
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-1562 PMID: 16295531 Document Number: 586025
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and evaluate the relationship of malaria and helminth infections on anaemia status in Phan Tien village, a mountainous ethnic minority community in southern Vietnam. This longitudinal study was performed from April 1997 to 2000 by measuring the hemoglobin concentration of 2767 people who participated in six annual surveys at the end of the rainy seasons. Ferritin concentration was measured in 2000 to evaluate the proportion of iron deficiency anaemia. The relation between malaria and intestinal helminth infections with anaemia was investigated. Anaemia was always over 43% and mainly associated with iron deficiency (80.1%). Using generalized estimating equations, a small but significant decline of the anaemia prevalence was detected (OR: 0.805; p<0.0001). Malaria was significantly associated with anaemia (OR: 2.408; p=0.0006). There was no significant effect of the control of intestinal helminth infections on the time course of anaemia (95% CI: -0.1548 to 0.1651).