Different pattern: a new EEG-based method for mental performance detection.

Globally, anemia is a major public health concern, affecting younger children aged 0–5 years (40%), pregnant women (30%), and women of reproductive age (15–49 years) (37%); as well as people in lower-middle income countries, especially those who resides in rural areas and with low education levels [, ]. A global trend analysis of anemia burden by severity and cause reported high prevalence (41·4%) among under-five years, with higher rates observed in female (31·2%) than male (17.5%) children [, ]. Globally, estimated cases of anemia increased by 6.7% in 2019 (1.8 billion) to 1.92 billion in 2021 [, ]. Anemia is a global public health problem among school-aged children (SAC) and adolescents in countries with the lowest socio-demographic Index (SDI), especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) [, ]. Nearly, a quarter of school children surveyed in Ethiopia were reported to be anemic [] whereas a study conducted in Kenya reported increased anemia prevalence with increasing age []. SAC may be particularly vulnerable to anemia due to physiological changes and increased nutritional requirements during this critical stage of growth and development []. Anemia among school children has been reported to impair psychomotor development, mental growth, reduced school performance, increased infection risks, and loss of productivity at a later age in life [, ]. SAC may be identified as anemic when hemoglobin (Hb) concentration level falls < 11.5 g/dL for children aged 5–11 years (male & female), < 12.0 g/dL for female and male children aged 12–14 years, and < 12.0 g/dL for female children aged 15–16 years, while males aged 15–16 years are considered anemic if their Hb is < 13.0 g/dL []. Anemia may occur as a manifestation of the underlying cause such as nutritional deficiencies (e.g., iron deficiency), chronic diseases, genetic disorders affecting red blood cell production, or blood loss due to injury or other medical conditions including lung and liver diseases, drug induced, hemolysis, and parasitic diseases, among others [, , ].