Iron status and anaemia in Sri Lankan secondary school children: A cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Iron deficiency, the most common micronutrient disorder and cause of anaemia globally, impairs growth, cognition, behaviour and resistance to infection.

Methods/results

As part of a national survey of inherited haemoglobin variants in 7526 students from 72 secondary schools purposefully selected from the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, we studied 5912 students with a normal haemoglobin genotype. Median age was 16.0 (IQR 15.0-17.0) years and 3189 (53.9%) students were males. Most students were Sinhalese (65.7%), with fewer Tamils (23.1%) and Muslims (11.2%). Anaemia occurred in 470 students and was more common in females (11.1%) than males (5.6%). Haemoglobin, serum ferritin, transferrin receptor and iron were determined in 1196 students with low red cell indices and a

SUBMITTER: Allen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5695819 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature