Examination of Anemia among Young Women in 34 DHS Countries: Prevalence by Age, Residence, Education and Household Wealth

Suzumi Yasutake, Johns Hopkins University
Huan He, Johns Hopkins University
Robert Blum, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Anemia is a serious public health problem worldwide. It has health, social and economic impacts. There is not much research on anemia among young women in developing countries. This research describes the prevalence of anemia among all women age 15-24 in 34 developing countries and explores its associations with age, residence, education and household wealth. We analyzed data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). We found a high prevalence of anemia in all countries ranging from 15 to over 50%. Given that a prevalence over 5% is considered a public health issue, these numbers are very concerning. Overall, our findings suggest that women age 19-24, in rural areas, with less than primary education, in poorest household might have a higher risk of anemia.