Effect of desire for slenderness on anemia based on blood hemoglobin levels among young women

Abstract

  In the present study, the relationship between iron-deficiency anemia and desire for slenderness among young women was investigated in 288 women's junior college students. The following results were obtained :
1) The distribution of subjects as underweight, normal, and obese based on BMI was 25.7%, 60.4%, and 13.9%, respectively. A total of 89.6% of subjects had a desire for slenderness. In addition, regarding the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia, 13.5% of subjects were in the anemia group, 38.2% in the tendency toward anemia group, and 48.3% in the normal group.
2) Body weight, body fat percentage, and BMI were significantly lower among subjects with a desire for slenderness in the anemia group compared to those with a desire for slenderness in the normal group.
3) Nutritional intake was significantly lower among subjects both with and without a desire for slenderness in the anemia group compared to other groups.
4) Therefore, subjects with a desire for slenderness in the anemia group had a particularly strong desire for weight loss as well as a low intake of nutrients and were at a risk of iron deficiency due to menstruation. A significant difference was observed for menstruation in the anemia group. Specifically, in this group, subjects with a desire for slenderness had a more regular menstruation in addition to a tendency toward prolonged bleeding compared to subjects without a desire for slenderness.
  These findings indicate that promotion of health awareness among young women by enhancing their understanding of the various physiological changes associated with a desire for slenderness as well as iron-deficiency anemia is important from the perspective of primary prevention.