大和高原三村住民の貧血頻度と食生活習慣の改善について

Abstract

The prevalence of anemia and its transition during three years from 1986 in YAMATO-KOHGEN rural districts, Nara prefecture, were investigated. Subjects were the visitors who have undergone annual health examinations, aged from 40 to 69 years old. In 1986, the prevalence of anemia (male ; Hb＜13 g/dl, female ; Hb＜12 g/dl) were 7.0% (44/625) in males and 16.5% (150/911) in females. These prevalences are nearly same as those of the residents of Nara City and the whole Japanese population recently. Increasing with age, the prevalence increased in males (3.0% in the forties, 5.2% in the fifties and 13.8% in the sixties) and decreased in females (19.4%, 16.8% and 12.9% in each decade). Thin physique subjects showed lower mean hemoglobin levels than others. In the correlation between eating habits determined by questionnaire and anemia, it was suggested that younger females, who had the highest prevalence of anemia, had not eaten sufficiently, either in quantity or quality. From 1987, the author has enforced a screening test for anemia by the copper sulfate method and given a lead to persons with anemia about the improvement of daily eating habits on the day of health examination. But the prevalence of anemia in 1988 was not improved in comparison with that in 1986, that is 9.1% (61/669) in males and 21.1% (210/995) in females. Similar results were observed in the visitors to an annual health examination successively in the last three years. It was observed that the changes of anemic state from non anemia to anemia and from anemia to non anemia occurred mainly within the slightly anemic group. Despite the fact that the food situation has improved markedly in recent years and the prevalence of anemia has decreased as a general rule, we need to improve the matter of eating habits according one's situation, still more.