Women Affected Twice As Much As Men: New Research on Anaemia

According to a study conducted by Lancet Haematology, twice as many women were found to have anaemia in 2021 as compared to men. Additionally, the prevalence factor in women was found to be tripled during their reproductive years, according to new research in The Lancet Haematology.

Anaemia is a blood condition in which “the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal,” according to WHO. In 2021, more than 1.9 billion people were affected by anaemia, according to the study, which covers global anaemia data from 1990-2021.

Gender Disparities in Anaemics

The study also revealed that the highest anaemia prevalence belonged to the regions of Western sub-Saharan Africa (47.4%), Central sub-Saharan Africa (35.7%) and South Asia (35.7%). The study also revealed that “across all ages, males had a lower prevalence of anaemia than females,” with the prevalence factor in 2021 being 17.5% for males and 31.2% in females on average across all ages.

The study, conducted by researchers belonging to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) US, revealed that, while there had been a steady decrease in anaemia worldwide since 1990, anaemia had decreased more steadily in males “aged 20-74 years and not the young children (<5 years) and women of reproductive age that are the focus of international targets on anaemia and nutrition.”

Causes Of Anaemia

The study showed that dietary iron deficiency, accounting for 66.2 percent of the total cases, was the leading cause of anaemia in 2021, along with a host of other causal factors, such as gynaecological disorders and maternal haemorrhage. A major factor behind the “higher prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age is probably related to unmet needs for family planning services,” the study says.

Gender disparities associated with food consumption and division of labour are probable causes behind the widening gaps between men and women affected by anaemia, because “women might be the most likely among household members to be affected by food insecurity,” as found by MP Santos, JD Brewer, and MA Lopez, a few of the collaborators on the study. Additionally, women are more likely to also “lack access to sufficient quantities of iron-rich foods.” Researchers studying anaemia prevalence in South Asia also found that women were “less likely to receive health screening and care, whether due to domestic work demands, lack of autonomy, or prioritization of other family members’ care.” 

Will Gardner, IHME researcher and lead author of the paper said that the gender disparities in the paper presented a “nuanced situation that revolves around access to nutrition, socioeconomic status, unmet need for contraception, and the ability to identify and treat underlying causes of anaemia.” Dr Nick Kassebaum, the senior author of the study, stated that he hopes that the data from the study could be used by clinicians to “design more comprehensive intervention and treatment plans, especially for the most vulnerable- women of reproductive age, children, and the elderly.”

Suggested reading: Lessons From Pandemic: How Holistic Healthcare is the Key Towards Prevention