Prevalence of anemia in females of early reproductive age and its correlation with socio-economic indicators: a case study and policy considerations from India

Anemia is a major public health concern in the world, more so in India. In the country both government and non-government organizations have unfurled various programmatic interventions to reduce its prevalence. This study explores the relationship between anemia and socio-economic factors, particularly among early reproductive age females. It also aims to highlight the policy and programmatic contributions of the country in combating anemia and address any gaps therein. A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the anemic status of the female population at a premier undergraduate institution at the University of Delhi and the socio-economic factors that influenced it. A two-fold approach was adopted in this study conducted at one of the female UG institutes of University of Delhi. The first approach involved the blood tests of 1,473 female students aged between 16–21 years, further categorized into two groups i.e. 16–19 and 19–21 years by employing the Test-Treat-Talk (T3) method, as part of the “Anemia Mukta Bharat” campaign of the Government of India. This was followed by an online survey to validate and collate information regarding the demographic and socio-economic conditions of the population tested. Statistical analysis was performed using R (4.2.1) and PAST (2.17) software. The study population consisted primarily of young adult females, with 51.3% of participants aged 19–21 years, followed by 47.6% aged 16–19 years. A small percentage (1.1%) was over 21 years of age. Analysis of anemia prevalence by age group revealed significant differences. The 19–21 years group demonstrated higher rates of anemia, with 17% reporting mild anemia and 10% moderate anemia. Conversely, the 16–19 years group exhibited lower rates of anemia, with only 8% experiencing moderate anemia and 16% mild anemia. Study also reveals that 76% of non-anemic individuals are from the group 16–19 years, while 73% belong to the 19–21 age groups. This suggests that hemoglobin content has a significant association with mild anemia and the age group. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results suggest that significant (p < 0.05) variations have been observed with mild anemia for both age groups (16–19 years and 19–21 years), while no significant difference is observed for non-anemic and moderate anemia age groups. The majority of students (66.8%) in the institution come from urban areas, while the rest (33.2%) come from rural areas. The study significantly points towards the lack of awareness among the youth about their own health, especially their anemic status. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended to have more awareness programs among students and better implementation of government policies and programs to combat this public health crisis.