Prevalence and Determinants of Anemia in Adolescent Populations

Adolescence is a pivotal phase marked by rapid growth and elevated nutritional demands. Globally, anaemia affects a substantial proportion of individuals aged 10–19 years, with prevalence ranging from 20% in high-income regions to over 50% in some low-income settings. Key determinants encompass inadequate intake of bioavailable iron, coexisting micronutrient deficiencies, recurrent infections and parasitic infestations. Gender‐specific factors, notably menstrual blood loss after menarche, intensify risk among females. Socioeconomic elements such as food insecurity, limited dietary diversity and poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure further exacerbate vulnerability. Understanding these interwoven biological and environmental drivers is essential to inform integrated prevention and treatment strategies that combine dietary diversification, supplementation, infection control and improvements in living conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent cross-sectional surveys in coastal Bangladesh have elucidated the impact of ecological and seasonal variation on adolescent micronutrient status. Adolescent girls in freshwater areas exhibited a two- to threefold higher risk of vitamin D insufficiency during the wet season compared with the dry season, while iron deficiency peaked concurrently despite proximity to nutrient-rich aquatic foods. Mixed-effects regression highlighted salinity gradients as independent predictors of both vitamin D and iron status. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring public health interventions to local environmental contexts, extending the focus beyond diet to include ecosystem‐driven fluctuations in nutrient availability.

Prevalence and Determinants of Anemia in Adolescent Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in prevalence and determinants of anemia in adolescent populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Anaemia: A condition characterised by haemoglobin levels below age- and gender-specific thresholds, resulting in diminished oxygen transport capacity of the blood.

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA): The most common form of anaemia, arising from insufficient iron to synthesise adequate haemoglobin.

Haemoglobin: An iron-containing protein in red blood cells responsible for binding and delivering oxygen to body tissues.

Micronutrients: Essential vitamins and minerals—including iron, vitamin D and vitamin A—needed in small quantities for normal growth, development and physiological functions.

References

1. Dietary patterns and association with Iron deficiency among children and adolescents aged 9–17 years in rural Guangzhou, China: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2024).
2. Factors affecting the micronutrient status of adolescent girls living in complex agro-aquatic ecological zones of Bangladesh. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Factors associated with anemia among school-going adolescents aged 10–17 years in Zanzibar, Tanzania: a cross sectional study. BMC Public Health (2023).
4. Things seen and unseen: 2. Anaemia affects urban rich Nigerian adolescents more than other socio‑economic status groups. Annals of Global Health (2024).
5. Iron Deficiency Anemia: Efficacy and Limitations of Nutritional and Comprehensive Mitigation Strategies. Nutrients (2022).