International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 10, Issue 6 (June 2023), Pages: 100-106

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 Original Research Paper

Association between hemoglobin level and food consumption among female nursing students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

 Author(s): 

 Aml Sayed Abdelrahem 1, 2, Norah Alomar 1, Sheeba Kumari 1, Shima I. Albokhamseen 3, Mariam M. Alduhailan 4, Ola Mousa 1, 2, *

 Affiliation(s):

 1Nursing Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
 2Faculty of Nursing, Minia University, Minya, Egypt
 3ICU Department, Omran General Hospital, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
 4Nutrition Department, Obeid Hospital Al Ahssa, Ministry of Health, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4163-3413

 Digital Object Identifier: 

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2023.06.012

 Abstract:

Anemia exerts significant adverse impacts on health and the economy, both in developing and developed nations across the globe. The physiological and physical changes that transpire during adolescence and early adulthood necessitate heightened nutritional requirements. Among teenagers and young adults, anemia manifests as a frequent condition. The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its contributing factors among female nursing students enrolled at King Faisal University in Al Hasa, located in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. Employing a cross-sectional design, we conducted an investigation involving a cohort of 83 nursing students who were in good health. To ensure adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols, we employed a practical sampling method to collect the samples. Hemoglobin (Hb) levels were assessed using a finger-stick capillary blood sample. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for diagnosing anemia, hemoglobin levels exceeding 12.0 g/dL indicate the absence of anemia. The study findings revealed that 59% of the participants were diagnosed with anemia due to their low hemoglobin levels. Substantial associations were observed between hemoglobin levels, anemia, and clinical factors such as chronic illnesses, heavy menstrual cycles, and dietary supplements. Based on these outcomes, anemia is highly prevalent among female university students. Furthermore, the research population may be susceptible to anemia if they engage in practices such as tea or coffee consumption, irregular meal patterns, or the intake of foods that impede iron absorption.

 © 2023 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords: Food consumption, Hemoglobin level, Knowledge-attitude-practice, Nutrition, University students

 Article History: Received 17 December 2022, Received in revised form 10 April 2023, Accepted 12 April 2023

 Acknowledgment 

The researchers acknowledge the College of Applied Medical Sciences Students for participating in the study.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical consideration

A protocol for this study was approved by the Research and Ethical Committee at King Faisal University, number (KFU-REC/2020-12-18). Confidentiality was maintained regarding the information of each participant.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Abdelrahem AS, Alomar N, Kumari S, Albokhamseen SI, Alduhailan MM, and Mousa O (2023). Association between hemoglobin level and food consumption among female nursing students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 10(6): 100-106

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 Figures

 Fig. 1 Fig. 2

 Tables

 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 

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