Anaemia and iron deficiency among adolescent schoolgirls in peri-urban Bangladesh

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency amo ng adolescent schoolgirls in periurban Bangladesh, and to identify various factors associated with anaemia in this population. Design: A cross-sectional design. Setting: Girls' high schools in five sub-districts of Dhaka. Subjects: Adolescent girls (n = 548) aged 11 - 16 y from nine schools in Dh aka district participated in the study. Socio-economic, anthropometric and dietary information were collected. Blood haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron, tot al iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferriti n (SF) and serum retinol (vitamin A) were determined. Results: The prevalence of anaemia (Hb < 120 g/l) among the participants wa s 27%. Seventeen percent had depleted iron stores (SF<12 mu g/l). Of all an aemic girls, 32% had iron deficiency anaemia (Hb<120g/l and SF<12 mu g/l). When the girls were classified by serum vitamin A, the third with the lowes t serum retinol levels had significantly lower Hb and SF levels. Significan t positive correlations were observed between Hb and serum iron, TS, SF and retinol, while there was a negative correlation with serum TIBC. Occupancy , frequency of consumption of large fish, serum iron, TIBC, TS, SF and seru m vitamin A were strongly related to Hb by multiple regression analysis. Fo r 1 mu g/l change in SF concentration, there was a 0.046 g/l change in fib, when adjusted for all other factors. Conclusion: Anaemia among these adolescent schoolgirls in peri-urban Bangla desh cannot be explained by iron deficiency alone, and other causes may als o exist in this population.