Correlation Between Nutritional Status and Iron Deficiency Anemia Based on the Mentzer Index among Hospitalized Children with Anemia at Jambi Regional General Hospitals

Stephen Iglesia Hutabarat (Universitas Jambi)
Fitri Asymida (Universitas Jambi)
Rina Nofri Enis (Universitas Jambi)
Mustarim (Universitas Jambi)
Patrick Wiliam Gading (Universitas Jambi)

Health & Medical Sciences
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026): August

Nutritional status is a key determinant of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children, since inadequate nutrition heightens the likelihood of this condition developing. This study aimed to examine the relationship between nutritional status and the occurrence of IDA among children. An analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design was carried out using secondary data drawn from the medical records of 93 pediatric patients (aged 0–19 years) treated at RSUD Raden Mattaher and RSUD Abdul Manap, Jambi. Nutritional status was classified according to WHO reference standards, and IDA was diagnosed through the Mentzer Index. The Chi-Square test was applied for statistical analysis. The sample was predominantly male (58.1%), most frequently aged 0–11 months (34.4%), and largely categorized as having poor nutritional status (45.2%). IDA was present in 65.6% of the children studied. A statistically significant relationship was found between nutritional status and IDA occurrence (p=0.000), with children exhibiting abnormal nutritional status facing an approximately 11-fold greater risk (p<0.05) of IDA relative to normally nourished children.