Anaemia among Egyptian adolescents: prevalence and determinants.

We aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence of anaemia among adolescents in Egypt and to study possible risk factors. A cross-sectional approach was used. Blood samples were collected from 1980 adolescents for haemoglobin estimation. The overall prevalence of anaemia was 46.6%, most of which was mild or moderate, with severe cases in less than 1.0% of the sample. Gender difference was almost nonexistent. A significant inverse relationship was observed between the level of anaemia and age (especially among boys), socioeconomic level and educational level. Anaemia was more prevalent in rural areas and in Upper (southern) Egypt. Anaemia is a major public health problem among Egyptian adolescents and wide-scale public health education is warranted.