"The Relationship Between Clinical Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Body Mass Index, Dietary Patterns, and Their Association with Hemoglobin Levels Among a Female Students in Zliten City"

Abstract

Nutritional anemia is a common health problem influenced by numerous behavioral, nutritional, and clinical factors. This exploratory study aimed to assess the relationship between hemoglobin levels and certain gastrointestinal clinical manifestations (such as diarrhea and flatulence), body mass index (BMI), and dietary patterns in a sample of individuals in Zliten. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a purposive sample of 50 cases. Behavioral and clinical data were collected using a custom-designed questionnaire that demonstrated sufficient face validity, while hemoglobin levels were measured in the laboratory. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software (version 25), employing chi-squared (χ²) tests, linear correlation, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed a statistically significant linear relationship between the severity of anemia and the frequency of recurrent diarrhea (P = 0.023), while no significant relationship was found with the presentation of flatulence (P = 0.176). On the other hand, analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no statistically significant differences in mean hemoglobin levels attributable to body mass index (BMI) (F = 0.060). Similarly, dietary patterns related to whole grains showed no significant differences (P = 0.983) due to the homogeneity of consumption habits in the study population. The study concluded that anemia in the studied sample is closely linked to functional gastrointestinal disorders that negatively affect physiological nutrient absorption, while being completely independent of BMI. This highlights the issue of Hidden Hunger and the importance of food quality rather than quantity. The study recommends that gastrointestinal health assessment be a fundamental component of anemia diagnosis and treatment protocols