A Study on Anemia in Urban and Rural Area in Korea

From August to September of 1982, the study was conducted a survey of 152 urban infants and children (who visited the well baby and out patient clinic of th Department of Pediatrics of the Han Kang Sung Shim Hospital located at Young Deung Po Koo, Seoul) and of 62 rural infants and children (who are the children and infants living at Soo Dong Myun, Yang Choo Country, which is a comprehensive rural medical care demonstration area of Ewha Womans University). The purpose of this survey has been to know the relationship between ane-mia and social demographic background, maternal child health status, and the intake of nutrition. The results were as follows : 1) The frequency of anemia in urban area was shown as 25.7% and that of rural area as 11.7%, which means that the frequency of anemia is higher in urban area than in rural area. 2) In terms of the frequency of anemia according to age, the infants and children aged 12-18 months in ruban area showed a highest rate of 31.6%, and those aged 0-12 months in rural area a highest rate of 20.0%. In terms of sex, female infants and children were contracted with a little more anemia than male counterparts in urban area. And male infants and children were contracted with a little more anemia than female counterparts in rural area. 3) In terms of mothers, 29 year old mother were set as standard age and those under 29 years in urban area showed an frequency rate of 28.7%, and those under 29 years in rural area showed an frequency rate of 13.2%. This means that there was more frequency rate in the mothers under 29 years than in those above 29 years. 4) In terms of economic situation, 290,000 won per month was set as standard amound made per month. And those earning less than 290,000 won in urban areas showed an frequency rate of 35.7%, and those earning less than 290,000 won in rural area 33.3%, which means that there was more frequency of anemia among those making less than 290,000 won than those making more than 290,000 won. And this was significant in terms of statistics. 5) The more the number of siblings was, the higher the frequency of anemia was. The frequency in case of two brothers was shown as 27.6% in ruban area, and as 15.2% in rural area respectively. 6) Such things as number of parity and birth interval were not so much significant in ruban area. However, the higher the number of parity was in rural area, the higher the frequency of anemia was. And in case birth interval was long, the frequency of anemia was rather high. 7) In terms of the relationship between pregnancy and anemia symptom during pregnancy of index child those pregnant women with anemia symptom in urban area showed an frequency rate of 27.8%, and those in rural area 19.2% respecitvely. This reveals that the frequency rate of anemia symptom of pregnant women was higher in ruban area than in rural area. 8) In case infant and children took an initial(first) step within the age under one year, those in urban area showed an frequency rate of anemia of 31.7%, which is higher than in those who took an initial step when they were above one year old. And none of the rural infant and children under the age less than one year showed any frequency rate of anemia. 9) In terms of nurition, the infant and children raised by breast feeding showed an frequency rate of anemia of 36.9% and 12.8% in urban area and rural area and rural area respectively. This means that the infant and children who were weaned after six months showed more frequency rate of anemia than those who were weaned within six months. 10) In case food intake was irregular, the frequency rate of anemia were disclosed as 30.0% and 18.0% un ruban area and rural area respecitvely, which means that irregular food intake has brought about more frequency rate of anemia than regular food intake. And in case iron contained food was rarely taken, the frequency rates of anemia were 25.0% and 3.6% in urban area and rural area respectively. This shows that rarely taking of iron conained food has led to more frequency rate of anemia than frequently taking of iron contained food.