Body Mass Index and other anthropometric variables in children with sickle cell anaemia

Objectives: the objectives of this study were to determine the anthropometric variables of children with sickle cell anaemia and comparing it with those with normal haemoglobin genotype. methods: a cross sectional study of anthropometric measurements was conducted over a period of six months. children with sickle cell anaemia in steady state aged between 6-20 years were recruited. nutritional assessment was done using anthropometrical variables. data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences program (spss),version 20. results: the sickle cell patients comprised of 20 males and 20 females. there were an equal number of controls with an equal male to female ratio of 1:1. forty eight percent (19) of the children with sickle cell anemia were underweight (< 5th %ile) and this is statistically significant. χ2 =18.02 and p=0.000. when compared with subjects with normal haemoglobin genotype only five of them (13%) were underweight. χ2 = 10.286 and p=0.001. the controls weighed significantly more than the hbss patients and also had significantly larger body surface compared to the hbss population (p<0.05). conclusion: bmi and other anthropometric variables among children with sickle cell anemia were low when compared with children with normal haemoglobin genotype. © 2016,professional medical publications. all rights reserved.