Abstract
Background:
From the viewpoint of healthcare, anemia is one of the major health problems in India. Early diagnosis and treatment of anemia is crucial for a healthier generation. Studies have shown that red cell distribution width (RDW) values have a potential relation with anemia.

Aim:
To determine the association between RDW and anemia and to study the correlation between RDW and anemic status in different age groups.

Methods:
Cross-sectional study design and standard statistical methods were used. Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were determined.

Results:
Out of 245 children studied, The first category (up to 6 years) and the second category (6-12 years) includes 132 children (54%) and 113 children (46%), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were obtained using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with a cut off RDW of 14.05% and 12.95% in the two age groups, respectively. Anemic status was categorized according to hemoglobin levels in the two age groups. Patients with hemoglobin levels below the WHO cutoff values are considered anemic. Pearson correlation coefficient calculation observed that, there was a weak negative correlation (-0.24) between hemoglobin and RDW (p=0.012). There was a moderate negative correlation (-0.3) between MCV and RDW (p=0.001).

Conclusion:
As a diagnostic test, RDW alone was more specifically and sensitively associated with the detection of anemia in children aged 6 years compared with RDW in children aged 6–12 years. There was a weak negative correlation between hemoglobin and RDW.