ABSTRACT:

Anemia is a significant public health concern among women of reproductive age, particularly in developing countries where nutritional deficiencies are common. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of anemia among female university students and examine its association with lifestyle and menstrual health factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2025 at Hamdard University, Islamabad campus. Using convenience sampling, 322 female students aged 18–25 years were included in this study. Students who provided written consent were included, while those with chronic diseases or who were using iron supplements were excluded. Hemoglobin analysis and a structured questionnaire were used to gather data. The WHO classifies anemia as hemoglobin levels below 12 g/dL. The characteristics of the participants were summarized using descriptive statistics. Mean hemoglobin levels between anemic and non-anemic groups were compared using an independent t-test, and correlations between anemia and lifestyle factors and menstrual characteristics were examined using the chi-square test. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Overall, 37.9% of people were anemic. The anemic group showed a significantly lower mean hemoglobin concentration (10.24 ± 1.08 g/dL) than the non-anemic group (12.76 ± 0.92 g/dL) (p=0.003). Anemia was shown to be statistically significantly associated with both heavy menstrual bleeding (p=0.03) and irregular menstruation (p=0.041). However, there was no clear association between anemia and lifestyle factors such as physical activity or smoking. The findings highlight that menstrual characteristics are significantly associated among female university students. Targeted nutritional interventions and menstrual health awareness programs are recommended to reduce the burden of anemia in this population.

Keywords: Anemia prevalence, Female students, Lifestyle factors, Menstrual health,  Reproductive-age women.

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