Quetelet index, hemoglobin and parasitic infection of rural women in northeast Thailand.

ABSTRACT

The Quetelet index, hemoglobin and parasitic infection rates of adolescent and young women from 21 villages in Northeast Thailand were assessed. Data were collected in the hot, rainy and cold seasons of the year. The proportion of undernourished females varied between 10 and 15% when a cut-off point of 18.7 of the Quetelet index was chosen. 23 to 33% of the women had hemoglobin levels below 12 g%. Parasitic infection rates with various intestinal helminths were high but not related to the nutritional status or anemia.