The prevalence of self-reported health problems and haemoglobin status of Sudanese adolescents

In this paper we describe self-reported health problems and haemoglobin status among 1200 Sudanese adolescents (53.2% females, 46.8% males). Many adolescents report their general health as excellent and good (84%). A large number, however, report separate physical and psychological complaints. Report of psychological complaints is equal for both gender, and more psychological problems are reported with increasing age. Females and age groups 13–15 more often report chronic diseases. Malaria consistently has a relatively high prevalence. The overall prevalence of anaemia in our study is 32% (46.9% males, 19.2% females). The findings in our study do not sustain the traditional assumption that adolescence is a healthy period in human life. Implications for Sudanese health policies are discussed.