Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Community Medicine

Anemia is a global public health problem affecting both developing and developed countries; the most significant contributor to the onset of anemia is iron deficiency. Overweight and obesity are now so common that are replacing the more traditional public health concerns. Aim: To study the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia among overweight and obese premenopausal females. Methodology: It is a cross sectional descriptive study, conducted in the outpatient clinic of National Nutrition Institute. Results: More than two thirds of our study sample (71.1%) were classified as obese females and 28.9% of females were overweight. Two thirds of study sample consumed < 75% of RDA iron. More than one third (37.2%) of our sample were anemic, there was a negative correlation between BMI and serum iron level. The percent of females with positive CRP increased by increase in BMI. Conclusion: More than one third (37.2%) of overweight and obese premenopausal females were anemic. There was dietary iron deficiency due to inadequate intake of food rich in iron, inadequate consumption of food rich in vitamin C and over consumption of tea. Recommendations: Improvement of nutritional status of the premenopausal women by increasing their awareness about healthy diets, diet rich in iron and importance of physical activity

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