Table 2.

Prevalence of anemia among clinic patients

VARIABLECHILDREN < 15 Y OLD (HEMOGLOBIN CUTOFF BY AGE*)FEMALES ≥ 15 Y OLD (HEMOGLOBIN < 120 g/L)MALES15 Y OLD (HEMOGLOBIN < 130 g/L)
NO. OF POSITIVE RESULTS (NO. OF AVAILABLE RESULTS)PREVALENCE, %P VALUENO. OF POSITIVE RESULTS (NO. OF AVAILABLE RESULTS)PREVALENCE, %P VALUENO. OF POSITIVE RESULTS (NO. OF AVAILABLE RESULTS)PREVALENCE, %P VALUE
Total18 (170)11111 (438)258 (311)3
Region8.48< .001.99
  • Africa6 (55)1164 (172)373 (96)3
  • Americas4 (22)184 (34)120 (14)0
  • Asia2 (38)512 (67)181 (36)3
  • Eastern
Mediterranean
2 (12)1714 (51)272 (80)2
  • Europe4 (43)917 (114)152 (84)2
  • NA—not applicable.

  • * For children 6–59 mo, anemia was defined as hemoglobin < 110 g/L. For children 5–11 y, anemia was defined as hemoglobin < 115 g/L. For children 12–14 y, anemia was defined as hemoglobin < 120 g/L. Infants < 6 mo were not routinely tested for anemia and so were not included in this analysis.

  • Excludes patients born in Canada and the United States.

  • Asia region includes World Health Organization regions8 of South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.