1. Case Study: Prevalence of Mild Anemia in School Children in a Rural Community in Peru
Introduction: Mild anemia is a public health problem in Peru, especially in rural areas where access to adequate nutrition may be limited. This study seeks to investigate the prevalence of mild anemia in schoolchildren in a rural community in Peru and its possible association with access to a balanced diet.
Problem: What is the prevalence of mild anemia in schoolchildren in a rural community in Peru and how is it related to access to a balanced diet? / Determine whether there is a significant association between dichotomous variables.
Anemia (Present/absent).
Balanced diet (Yes / No).
Data were collected from 95 schoolchildren in a rural community in the country, recording their anemia status (present or absent) and their access to a balanced diet (yes or no), as assessed by parents or guardians. The data are presented in the following table:
Table 1: Type of diet and anemia in children in a rural community, Peru 2022.
Balanced diet Anemia
Present Absent
No 32 12
Yes 9 42
With a significance level of 0.05, can we conclude that anemia and balanced diet are independent?
Apply the Chi Square test to determine if there is a significant association between these two variables in the sample of school children from the rural community.
Interpret the results obtained and draw conclusions about the relationship with food in the community studied.
Reflection Question: After performing the Chi-Square analysis and obtaining the results, reflect on what other variables could influence reducing the prevalence of anemia that were not included in this study?