Relationship between Anemia and Falls among Postmenopausal Women in Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the relationship between anemia and falls in postmenopausal women. The relationships between energy, protein, iron, and vitamin C intake were also checked. The data of this study are a combination of data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) collected from the KNHANES VI-2,3 (2014–2015) and VII-1,2,3 (2016–2018). Falls and anemia were compared according to the subjects’ characteristics. Phi and Cramer’s V coefficient were applied to find the strength of association. Energy, protein, iron, and vitamin C intake and anemia were investigated. The relationship between the status as anemic and the occurrence of falls was analyzed using binary logistic regression. Of the 6665 subjects, 274 had a fall, and 596 had anemia. If the energy intake did not meet the estimated energy requirements, the state of anemia was significantly higher with a weak association. When protein, iron, and vitamin C did not meet the recommended nutrient intake, the anemia state was considerably higher with a weak to moderate association. Postmenopausal women with anemia were more likely to fall than subjects without anemia (OR = 1.88, p = 0.003). Additionally, anemia was confirmed to be related to insufficient energy, protein, iron, and vitamin C intake.