Iron nutritional status of adolescent girls from rural area and urban slum
Vasanthi, G.; Pawashe, A.B.; Susie, H.; Sujatha, T.; Raman, L.
Indian Pediatrics 31(2): 127-132
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 7875834 Document Number: 423738
Iron nutritional status of 239 girls from an urban slum area and 312 girls from rural areas (11-16 years old) attending local schools was assessed by measuring serum ferritin concentrations. Comparisons were also made between girls before (group I) and after attaining menarche (group II). Anaemia (haemoglobin <12 g/100 ml) was observed in about 25% of all girls. In urban group I girls, prevalence of anaemia increased from 19.2 to 38.3% between 12-14 and >14 year olds (P<0.05) but was similar at all ages in rural group I girls. Conversely, prevalence of anaemia was higher in rural group II girls <12 years old (37.2%) than urban group II girls of the same age and rural group II girls >12 years old. Iron deficiency (serum ferritin <12 micro g/100 ml) was seen in 4.7% of urban and 16% of rural girls (P<0.05). There was a progressive increase in iron deficiency from 6% at <12 to 25% at >14 years in rural group I girls (P<0.05). In urban group II girls, 5% of 12-14 vs. 13.3% of >14 year olds were iron deficient.