Anemia, malaria and hookworm infections in a Vietnamese ethnic minority.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and evaluate the relationship of malaria and helminth infections on anemia status in Phan Tien village, a mountainous ethnic minority community in southern Vietnam. This longitudinal study was performed from April 1997 to 2000 by measuring the hemoglobin concentration of 2,767 people who participated in six annual surveys at the end of the rainy seasons. Ferritin concentration was measured in 2000 to evaluate the proportion of iron deficiency anemia. The relation between malaria and intestinal helminth infections with anemia was investigated. Anemia was always over 43% and mainly associated with iron deficiency (80.1%). Using generalized estimating equations, a small but significant decline of the anemia prevalence was detected (OR 0.805; p < 0.0001). Malaria was significantly associated with anemia (OR 2.408; p = 0.0006). There was no significant effect of the control of intestinal helminth infections on the time course of anemia (95% CI -0.1548 to 0.1651).