Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the central prison of Mashhad

Anemia is one of the main problems in the world with a major effect on the working output of individuals. Taking into consideration that prison is a closed environment and the food intake of the prisoners is based on the routine diet they receive, the prevalence of anemia was investigated in the central prison of Mashhad. This was a descriptive study upon 435 people (48 women and 387 men) who were randomly selected from the prisoners jailed in central prison of Mashhad. A questionnaire including questions regarding weekly receiving foods, sex, age, judiciary and crime type was completed. A blood sample was initially taken from the selected people and hemoglobin, ferritin and iron were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and t-student, chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. Generally, 6.5% of prisoners suffered from anemia diagnosed by low hemoglobin and haematocrit. Anemia diagnosed by ferritin was more prevalent in women than men (p<0.001). Iron insufficiency was significantly more in women than men. The data also showed that anemia was increased with age. Based on the current study and the classification of the World Health Organization, iron deficiency anemia had a moderate prevalence among the prisoners of Mashhad central prison. Considering the physical and mental effects of iron deficiency anemia, special attention to sufficient micronutrient supplementation in prisoners’ diet is recommended.