Diagnostic performance of red cell indices in detecting iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia among rural adolescent girls aged 14-19 years in Nagpur District.

ABSTRACT: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains a major public health concern among adolescent girls in rural areas. This study assessed the diagnostic performance of red cell distribution width (RDW) and hemoglobin (Hb) in detecting IDA. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 221 healthy rural adolescent girls (14-19 years) randomly selected from 24 government schools across 18 villages under four primary health centers in Nagpur district, Maharashtra (CTRI/2020/01/023035). Venous blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters, and ROC curve analysis determined optimal diagnostic cut-offs. The iron-deficient group showed significantly lower MCV (75.3 vs. 84.5 fL, p < 0.001), MCH (24.3 vs. 28.1 pg, p < 0.001), and median Hb (10.9 vs. 12.0 g/dL, p < 0.01) compared to iron-sufficient gir

SUBMITTER: Dhurde VS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12478879 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature