Aim: To study the effect of anemia on the academic performance of fifth grade students,

Study design: Cross-sectional comparative study.

Place and duration of study: Local schools in Abbottabad from January to June 2018.

Methods: Study subjects were fifth grade students who were randomly divided into two groups based on their hemoglobin (Hb) levels. First group, which was control group, had 40 students with Hb levels ≥ 10.0 gm/dL while second group, which was anemic group, consisted of 40 anemic students who had Hb levels < 10.0 gm/dL. Hemoglobin levels were estimated using 03 cc of blood in EDTA containing vials using aseptic technique and using standard method. Academic performance was assessed based on the scores obtained using tests (both objective and subjective) in the subjects of English, Math and Urdu.

Results: Mean Hb levels were 14.5gm/dL in control group while it was 9.45gm/dL in case of anemic group. There was a significant association between anemia and the academic performance of the students. Average test score of control subjects was 96.23 while mean score for anemic subjects was 76.35. This showed that the students in control group had performed significantly well as compared to that in anemic group (p value 0.001).

Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between anemia and scholastic performance of the students wherein anemia affects their educational performance. Therefore, nutritional supplementation programs should be initiated particularly at primary school levels so as to avoid the detrimental effects of micronutrient deficiency particularly iron on cognition and education and which in turn will lead to better educational performance and achievement.

Keywords: Anemia, school, performance, scholastic