Infrequent consumption of Laban is associated with anemia in adults aged >50 years in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Introduction: Limited information is available on the prevalence of anemia in adults and elderly. Contradictory results are available regarding the association between drinking Laban and anemia in children and adults. No study has explored this association in the adults/elderly population. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence and association between anemia and food items among adults aged &gt;50 years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Material &amp; Methods: 266 Saudi adults aged &gt;50 years were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study in Riyadh. Anthropometric measurements were taken and blood samples were collected. Blood hemoglobin was measured with a Coulter Cellular Analysis System using the light scattering method. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the food items significantly associated with anemia. Results: The mean (±SD) hemoglobin was 13.8 (±1.6) mg/dL. Anemia was prevalent among 19.9% (n = 53) of the participants. Infrequent intake of red meat [adjusted Odds Ratio [ORa] 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2, 9.7] and Laban (fermented yogurt drink) [ORa 2.7, 95% CI 1.1, 6.7] were significantly associated with anemia, whereas obesity (BMI &gt;30) was protective [aOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.9] from anemia. Conclusion: Anemia is prevalent among Saudi males and females aged &gt;50 years. The association between drinking Laban and anemia support the emerging evidence on the role of probiotics in preventing anemia among adults and elderly. It is recommended that people aged &gt;50 years should get regularly screened for anemia.</jats:p

Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors in Child Bearing Age Women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objective. To determine the prevalence and risk factors for anemia in child bearing age women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Design. Cross-sectional survey was conducted using two-stage cluster sampling. 25 clusters (primary health care centers (PHCC)) were identified from all over Riyadh, and 45–50 households were randomly selected from each cluster. Eligible women were invited to PHCC for questionnaire filling, anthropometric measurements, and complete blood count. Blood hemoglobin was measured with Coulter Cellular Analysis System using light scatter method. Setting. PHCC. Subjects. 969 (68%) women out of 1429 women were included in the analysis. Results. Mean hemoglobin was 12.35 (±1.80) g/dL, 95% CI 12.24–12.46 with interquartile range of 1.9. Anemia (Hb <12 g/dL) was present in 40% (390) women. Mean (±SD) for MCH, MCV, MCHC, and RDW was 79.21 (±12.17) fL, 26.37 (±6.21) pg, 32.36 (±4.91) g/dL, and 14.84 (±4.65)%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that having family history of iron deficiency anemia (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.78–4.76) and infrequent intake of meat (OR 1.54, 95%CI 1.15–2.05) were associated with increased risk of anemia, whereas increasing body mass index (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.97) was associated with reduced risk of anemia. Conclusion. Women should be educated about proper diet and reproductive issues in order to reduce the prevalence of anemia in Saudi Arabia