Anaemia, prevalence among adolescents

Anaemia

Proportion of adolescents (10–19 years) who have a haemoglobin level below the relevant WHO threshold

Lacking sufficient iron (anaemia) can have negative health consequences, especially for adolescents, who depend on a variety of vitamins and minerals for healthy growth and development. Furthermore, menstruating adolescents are at higher risk of anaemia due to repeated loss of blood. This indicator measures anaemia according to relevant WHO thresholds and recommendations.

Health outcomes and conditions

Nutrition

GAMA recommends this as a core indicator, essential for measuring the health of all adolescents globally. The cut-offs for anaemia diagnosis vary with sex, age and other characteristics (for example, pregnancy, smoking status). See the corresponding WHO guidance for additional information on anaemia and the relevant cut-offs.

No

Number of adolescents (10–19 years) who have a haemoglobin level less than the relevant WHO threshold

Total number of adolescents (10–19 years)

Age group (10–14, 15–19 years); sex

The calculation of this indicator requires data on capillary or venous blood haemoglobin level recorded in grams per decilitre (g/dL) to one decimal point. Classification of anaemia should be made with respect to the appropriate WHO threshold given an adolescent’s age, sex and other relevant characteristics, including pregnancy status, smoking and residential elevation above sea level.

Individual

Population-based surveys

None recommended

2024-05-30

WHO Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing

mncahdata@who.int

10544

A review of the risk factors for iron deficiency anaemia among adolescents in developing countries (Wiafe MA, et al., Anemia, 2023)

Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity (WHO, 2011)

Adolescent health indicators