Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of anemia among adults living in Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia and its relation to their dietary habits and body mass index (BMI). Method and Materials: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in Al-Madinah city from May to end of November, 2017, at a shopping mall, university and central blood bank. We screened 675 adults from 18 to 49 years old with exclusion of those with chronic, cardiac and blood disorders. Data were collected using an interview based questionnaire containing questions about dietary habits. Hemoglobin levels were measured using HemoCue device with normal cut-off values of 13.5 to 17.5 g/dl for males and 12.0 to 15.5 g/dl for females. BMI was calculated using weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2). Results: Out of 675 participants, 192 (28.4%) were anemic while 483 (71.6%) were non-anemic. Within anemic only 20 (10.4%) were males while 172 (89.6%) were females (p=0.000). Higher anemia rates were found in participants with normal BMI (46.9%) (p=0.042). Participants who consume meat three times or more per week, only 26.6% of them were anemic, while those who never consume meat, as high as 40.8% of them were anemic (p=0.001). Participants who eat fast food three times or more per week, only 24.5% of them were anemic, while those who eat fast food 1-2 times per week, 59.4% of them were anemic (p=0.012). Those who consume soft drinks three times or more per week, only 24.0% of them were anemic compared to those who never consume soft drinks, 38.5% (p=0.002). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of the adult population is anemic with higher prevalence among females. Normal BMI is significantly related to higher anemia rates. The dietary habits associated with decreased anemia rates are meat, fast food and soft drinks consumption. These findings highlight the importance of encouraging weekly meat consumption and promoting iron supplementation especially for females.