Jeevan Jyothika, Karun Kalesh M, Puranik Amitha, Deepa C, Mk Lintu, Barvaliya Manish
Department of Health Systems Research, ICMR - National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi, Karnataka, 590010, India.
Department of Biostatistics, St. Thomas College, Palai, Kerala, 686574, India.
BMC Public Health. 2025 Apr 4;25(1):1270. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22439-3.
Anemia is a major health concern in India, ranking second in maternal mortality and exhibits a higher prevalence compared to many other developing nations. This study aims to analyze prevalence of anemia across age groups using systematic review and meta-analysis.
The present systematic review and meta-analysis includes cross-sectional studies from 1995 to 2023, reporting prevalence of anemia in India. Two authors independently screened and extracted data from relevant articles sourced from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and model selection was based on observed heterogeneity (I). Geospatial analysis and cumulative meta-analysis were performed using R 4.3.3 and STATA 16 software.
Across 157 studies, the prevalence of anemia varied among different age groups and regions in India. Toddlers (under 3 years) had a 69% prevalence, with highest in the Eastern (87%) and lowest in the Northern (50%) regions. Pre-school children (3-5 years) had a 64% prevalence, exhibiting 85% and 37% in the Central and the North-Eastern regions, respectively. Among the school going children, the overall prevalence was 51.2%. The highest prevalence at 83.9% was seen in the North-Eastern regions, while the Central regions had the lowest prevalence at 40%. An overall prevalence of 53% was observed among individuals aged 19-59 years. The Northern region exhibited the highest prevalence (64%) and the lowest in the North-Eastern (39%) regions in this age group. Elderly individuals had a prevalence between 52 to 68%, with the highest in the Eastern (65%) and the lowest in the North-Eastern (44%) regions.
Anemia prevalence was highest among toddlers and lowest among school children, with notable regional variations. Cumulative meta-analysis uncovered both consistent and increasing trends across various age groups. This meta-analysis provides essential insights for effective strategies against persistence of anemia prevalence.
PROSPERO registration number is CRD42023431577.
贫血是印度主要的健康问题，在孕产妇死亡率中排名第二，与许多其他发展中国家相比，贫血患病率更高。本研究旨在通过系统评价和荟萃分析来分析各年龄组的贫血患病率。
本次系统评价和荟萃分析纳入了1995年至2023年期间报告印度贫血患病率的横断面研究。两位作者独立筛选并从PubMed、Scopus和Web of Science来源的相关文章中提取数据。使用纽卡斯尔-渥太华量表评估研究质量，并根据观察到的异质性（I）进行模型选择。使用R 4.3.3和STATA 16软件进行地理空间分析和累积荟萃分析。
在157项研究中，印度不同年龄组和地区的贫血患病率各不相同。幼儿（3岁以下）的患病率为69%，东部地区最高（87%），北部地区最低（50%）。学龄前儿童（3 - 5岁）的患病率为64%，中部地区为85%，东北地区为37%。在学龄儿童中，总体患病率为51.2%。东北地区患病率最高，为83.9%，中部地区最低，为40%。19至59岁人群的总体患病率为53%。该年龄组中，北部地区患病率最高（64%），东北地区最低（39%）。老年人的患病率在52%至68%之间，东部地区最高（65%），东北地区最低（44%）。
贫血患病率在幼儿中最高，在学龄儿童中最低，且存在显著的地区差异。累积荟萃分析揭示了各年龄组一致和上升的趋势。这项荟萃分析为应对贫血患病率持续存在的有效策略提供了重要见解。
PROSPERO注册号为CRD42023431577。
