Iron status of adolescents in a nigerian rural community

The iron status of 72 adolescents from rural peasant farming household was evaluated. The regression analyses showed that a Hb value of 11.0 g/dl and a haematocrit concentration of 34% corresponded with a transferrin saturation of 16% (the lower limit for non anaemic individuals). Based on Hb alone, 19.4% were anaemic (16.7% females and 22.2% males) while 16.7% (8.3% females and 25.0% males) had low transferrin saturation (<16%). Also, transferrin saturation levels decreased with age (P<0.01) in females only. Haematocrit concentration was equally low (<34%) in both sexes (22.2%). About 12.5% of all the subjects had mean corpuscular volume below 80 μm³. A combination of two independent measurements gives a better diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia than single parameters. Iron supply was inadequate for normal haemopoiesis in some of these adolescents.