Which of the following is the most common type of anemia in India?

Appeared in: AIIMS Rishikesh NO - 2019

Explanation

Iron deficiency anemia is the most widespread type of anemia in India, primarily due to nutritional factors.
Source SRC_2450 highlights that nutritional iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anemia in India, with a prevalence of about 70% across the country.
The high rates are driven by diets low in bioavailable iron, chronic blood loss from parasitic infections or menstruation, and the increased iron demands of pregnancy.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) confirms that over half of Indian women are anemic, underscoring the scale of the problem (SRC_2452).

Option A: Pernicious anemia is caused by the body's inability to absorb vitamin B12 due to a lack of intrinsic factor, an autoimmune condition. It is significantly less common than anemia caused by iron deficiency.
Option C: Aplastic anemia is a rare, life-threatening condition where the bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells. Its prevalence is very low compared to nutritional anemias.
Option D: Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder. While it has a high prevalence in specific geographic and ethnic groups in India (e.g., tribal populations in central and southern India), it is not the most common type of anemia for the entire Indian population.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Prevalence and types of anemia in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are central to implementing India's 'Anaemia Mukt Bharat' strategy, which involves screening, providing iron-folic acid supplements, and deworming.
Patient education by nurses on consuming iron-rich foods (like spinach, lentils, and fortified cereals) and vitamin C (to enhance absorption) is a key preventive measure.
Early identification of anemia in pregnant women is critical to prevent low birth weight, preterm delivery, and maternal mortality.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key components of the question: 'most common', 'anemia', and 'India'.
This is a factual recall question based on epidemiology and public health knowledge.
Consider the general health landscape of India. Nutritional deficiencies are known to be more widespread than specific genetic or autoimmune diseases.
Evaluate each option based on this understanding. Iron deficiency is a well-documented, widespread nutritional problem.
Pernicious anemia (autoimmune) and aplastic anemia (bone marrow failure) are known to be rare conditions.
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder concentrated in specific populations, not uniformly distributed across the country.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 174-176

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