Prevalence of anemia in 2673 of 6- and 7-year-old schoolchildren from São José dos Campos, State of São Paulo

Anemia has a great impact on cognitive development and physical growth in preschool-aged children.1 In Brazil, anemia rates in children vary according to region, age group and sample.2–4 The present study measured the prevalence of anemia in a representative sample of 2673 schoolchildren enrolled in the first and second grades (6 and 7 years old) of 40 schools in the city of São José dos Campos, State of São Paulo. The study used data from the Pincel Mágico program5 which counts on the support of the Health and Education Departments. The program aims to identify signs, pathological tendencies or established diseases as well as to promote better health conditions in the school environment. The methods of this program, including procedures, sample design, blood collec5 tion and ethical aspects, have been described previously. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to define anemia (hemoglobin < 11.5 g/dL) and assess the severity.6 The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Universidade Paulista (UNIP) (#402630).