Table 1 Participants’ characteristics
Control group (n = 63) | Thalassemia intermedia (n = 51) | Thalassemia major (n = 54) | F value | pvalue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years), mean ± SD | 11.73 ± 2.51 | 11.78 ± 2.61 | 11.80 ± 2.65 | 0.01 | 0.98 |
Weight (kg), mean ± SD | 54.29 ± 11.80 | 42.36 ± 9.28 | 42.54 ± 7.83 | 28.11 | 0.001 |
Height (cm), mean ± SD | 148.85 ± 16.65 | 141.34 ± 17 | 142.01 ± 16.21 | 3.68 | 0.02 |
BMI (kg/m2), mean ± SD | 18.02 ± 2.13 | 14.80 ± 1.73 | 14.87 ± 1.23 | 63.89 | 0.001 |
Hb (g/dl), mean ± SD | 10.93 ± 1.92 | 6.74 ± 0.84 | 6.96 ± 0.81 | 180.39 | 0.001 |
Sex, n (%) | |||||
Girls | 32 (50.8%) | 24 (47.1%) | 29 (53.7%) | χ2 = 0.46 | 0.79 |
Boys | 31 (49.2%) | 27 (52.9%) | 25 (46.3%) | ||
Consanguinity, n (%) | |||||
Positive | 20 (31.7%) | 34 (66.7%) | 38 (70.4%) | χ2 = 21.69 | 0.001 |
Negative | 43 (68.3%) | 17 (33.3%) | 16 (29.6%) | ||
Splenectomy, n (%) | |||||
Yes | – | 34 (66.7%) | 38 (70.4%) | χ2 = 0.16 | 0.68 |
No | – | 17 (33.3%) | 16 (29.6%) | ||
Use of iron chelating therapy, n (%) | |||||
Yes | – | 37 (72.5%) | 42 (77.8%) | χ2 = 0.38 | 0.53 |
No | – | 14 (27.5%) | 12 (22.2%) | ||
Regular school attendance | |||||
Yes | 60 (95.2%) | 39 (76.5%) | 19 (35.2%) | χ2 = 53.23 | 0.001 |
No | 3 (4.8%) | 12 (23.5%) | 35 (64.8%) | ||