Prevalence and associated factors of anemia among adult male patients at Security Forces Hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Background
Anemia in adult males is an underrecognized condition that may reflect nutritional deficiencies, chronic disease, or inflammation. Data on the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among adult males attending healthcare facilities in Saudi Arabia remain limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia and identify associated demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors among adult male patients at a Security Forces Hospital.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 568 adult male patients aged ≥18 years. Blood samples were analyzed using automated hematology analyzers to assess blood count parameters. Anemia was defined according to World Health Organization criteria as hemoglobin <13 g/dL. Demographic, lifestyle, and clinical data were collected. Associations between anemia and independent variables were assessed using chi-square and independent t-tests, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results
The prevalence of anemia was 15.8%. Anemia increased significantly with age (p<0.001), with the highest prevalence among participants aged 55–64 years. Physical inactivity, iron supplementation use, and conception of iron-rich food were significantly associated with anemia (p<0.05). Most cases were mild (65.6%), and microcytic hypochromic anemia was the predominant morphological type (52.2%). Iron studies showed low serum iron levels in more than half of the tested participants.
Conclusions
Anemia is common among adult male patients, particularly in older age groups. Iron deficiency appears to be a major contributor, although multiple etiologies are likely. These findings support routine anemia screening and preventive strategies among adult males in hospital settings.
© 2026 Rana Ghazi Zaini, Rana Barnawi, Tamadur Baz, Mohammad Algahtani, published by Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.