school screening

Iron Deficiency among Jamaican Adolescents

Issue:

Vol 63, Issue 6: Oct (2014)

DOI:

10.7727/wimj.2013.240

Pages:

561–5

Synopsis:

Screening of 15 592 senior school students in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica, revealed that 3.8% of females had haemoglobin levels below 10 g/dL. Features were typical of iron deficiency and dramatic improvement followed iron supplementation. School medical examinations should include blood tests.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To raise awareness of significant iron deficiency anaemia occurring in Jamaican secondary school students.

Methods: Haematological screening of students in the fifth and sixth forms of 14 secondary schools in the parishes of Manchester and Clarendon, Jamaica, was done. Samples were subject to haemoglobin electrophoresis, examination of haematological indices, and haemoglobin, alpha 2 (HbA₂₎ levels where indicated.

Received:

09 Sep, 2013

Revised:

09 Dec, 2013

Accepted:

20 Jan, 2014

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