Assessment of nutritional anemia on the basis of dietary pattern estimation among the population of Garhwal Himalayan region

BACKGROUND: Nutritional anemia has its prevalence at a global level. Unfortunately, the developing countries are at more risk due to the unavailability of resources and poor socio-economic conditions. According to the WHO, India has >40% prevalence of anemia, which is a severe public health concern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to assess the dietary pattern according to their haemoglobin levels. This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prevalence of anemia in Garhwal population, which contained total 520 individuals (344 females and 176 males). For this a food frequency questionnaire is administered to elicit information on dietary consumption pattern. The frequency of consumption was divided into three levels: ≥ 3 days/wk., 1-2 days/wk. & no or rare consumption. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the level of haemoglobin. RESULTS: In the present study, an overall prevalence of anemia was found 34.23% (38.06% in females and 27.61% in males). Results were expressed as Chi-square test and considered significant at 5% level of significance (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The overall status of anaemic individuals in the Garhwal region is of vital concern and should be paid due attention for the improvement of nutritional requirements to reduce the prevalence of anemia in this region. The effective measures include awareness about the essential nutrients to be included in diet along with the knowledge of anemia.