Chapter 3: Anemia Through an Intersectional Lens

Anemia is diagnosed when hemoglobin levels are less than 12.0 g/dL in women and less than 13.0 g/dL in men. The condition is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood (Cappellini & Motta, 2015). For women and children under age 5, 10.0–10.9 g/dl is considered mild. For all groups, 7.0–9.9 g/dl is considered moderate and <7.0g/dl is considered severe. Hemoglobin transports oxygen throughout the body to one’s organs and tissues. Low blood hemoglobin levels result in a decrease in available oxygen to the organs and tissues which cause anemia symptoms.

Symptoms of anemia can include headaches, fatigue, poor endurance, difficulty concentrating, cold intolerance, restless legs syndrome, and hair loss in females. Pica, a form of disordered eating, which is defined as an inappropriate desire and consumption of non-food items with no nutritional value, is also considered a symptom of anemia (Hamoud et al., 2018). These symptoms characterize all classifications of anemia and worsen as severity increases. Anemia can be caused by other micronutrient deficiencies, genetic hemoglobin disorders, and infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. The leading cause of anemia is the most common single-nutrient insufficiency worldwide–iron deficiency (ID). ID can be caused by poor diet or a disease that affects iron absorption.