The Incidence and Effects of Anaemia in a Young Industrial Population

Abstract

A survey of haemoglobin levels in 619 young people working at a Scottish factory showed that anaemia was prevalent. Anaemia was found to exist in 37 per cent of all females and in 19 per cent of all males between the ages of 15 and 19 years, different standards being used to define anaemia in each sex. The incidence of anaemia varied significantly (P= 0.01) between groups of young people in different occupations being 39.9 per cent in female factory workers, 14.0 per cent in female clerical workers, 32.0 per cent in young male factory workers and 8.7 per cent in male apprentices. The possible aetiology, particularly nutritional deficiency is discussed and the effect that anaemia may have on the industrial performance of the individual. The increased incidence of anaemia in semi-skilled workers suggested that social background may be an influencing factor in its occurance. Comparisons with older groups showed that improvement in the mean haemoglobin level occurs spontaneously in boys but that this improvement did not occur in females. The incidence of anaemia in females was not directly related to the number of years which had elapsed since menarche. The fact that routine haemoglobin examination of the young worker is seldom undertaken at present is pointed out and the importance of such examinations especially in the female is stressed.