The nationwide prevalence of anaemia and the associated factors in the general adult population in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND

Anaemia is a common blood disorder of global public health importance. However, the up-to-date prevalence of anaemia in Malaysia remains unknown. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of anaemia and the factors associated with the condition in the country’s general adult population.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of a nationally representative dataset from a 2023 community-based prevalence study was conducted. Complete blood counts from venous blood samples were also collected. Anaemia was defined as low haemoglobin below 120 g/L in non-pregnant women and 130 g/L in men. Complex sample analyses were carried out.

RESULTS

There were 1,030 eligible participants. The overall prevalence of anaemia was 15.0% (95% CI: 12.1–18.4), affecting an estimated 3.6 million people in Malaysia. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe anaemia was 9.9%, 4.5%, and 0.6%, respectively, whereas 8.1%, 6.6%, and 0.3% had microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic anaemia. Women (aOR: 5.83; 95% CI: 3.21–10.57) and people with diabetes (aOR: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.31–3.55) were more likely to have anaemia. In contrast, the top 20% household income category (aOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.11–0.67) was less likely to have the condition compared to the bottom 40% household income category.

CONCLUSION

Anaemia is a mild public health problem in Malaysia according to the WHO classification. Public health policymakers, technical programme managers, and physicians can target higher-risk populations to improve the implementation of measures to manage the anaemia epidemic in Malaysia.