(P11-006-24) Comparison of Anemia Prevalence Based on Venous Blood Hemoglobin Determination by Hematology Analyzer vs. HemoCue 301 on Children 6-59 Months Old in Three Regions of Ethiopia

Objectives: The HemoCue 301 is widely employed for hemoglobin measurements in population-based surveys. This study aimed to assess the agreement between a hematology analyzer, considered the gold standard, and the HemoCue 301 in children aged 6-59 months across three regions.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2022 in the Southern Nations, Nationalities & Peoples (SNNP), Amhara, and Somali regions of Ethiopia. Venous blood samples were collected from 554 children, and hemoglobin concentrations were assessed using both the hematology analyzer and HemoCue 301. Analyses, including mean, standard deviation (SD), the limit of agreement, and paired proportion tests at a significance level of α=0.05, were performed using Stata, v.16.

Results: Altitude-adjusted mean ± SD hemoglobin concentrations by the hematology analyzer and HemoCue 301 varied: 12.2±1.6 vs 12.2±1.2 in SNNP, 11.7±1.6 vs 11.9±1.3 in Amhara, and 10.0±1.8 vs 10.9±1.5 g/dL in Somali. A significant discrepancy (p < 0.05) between the two instruments' measurements was observed in the Amhara and Somali regions. Anemia prevalence based on the hematology analyzer vs HemoCue was 20% vs 13% in SNNP, 27% vs 18% in Amhara, and 72% vs 53% in Somali, showing significant disagreement in all three regions.

Conclusions: The prevalence of anemia determined by the HemoCue 301 was notably lower than that assessed by the hematology analyzer. Additionally, the disagreement between the two methods was more pronounced when hemoglobin concentrations were near the anemia cut-off point.

Funding Sources: European Union-funded project is called the National Information Platform for Nutrition /NIPN/.