Iron status in non-pregnant women of child-bearing age living at Greater Buenos Aires.

This survey was conducted in Greater Buenos Aires to assess the iron nutritional status of non-pregnant women of child-bearing age. One hundred and eighty-four subjects aged 16-44 years were studied. The prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin concentration less than 120 g/l) was 25.8 per cent. According to the multiple criteria approach, 21.6 per cent of women presented two or three abnormal values of iron status indicators (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum ferritin and/or mean corpuscular volume). Prevalences of anaemia were 19.2 per cent, 51.8 per cent and 100 per cent in women with 0-1, 2 or 3 indicators in the abnormal range, respectively. The haemoglobin shift analysis showed a prevalence of anaemia of 19.5 per cent. Frequency distribution of iron stores was calculated as described by Cook & Finch, with slight modifications; median value of iron stores was estimated at 180 mg iron. Depletion of iron stores was significantly associated with the socio-economic status, prevalences being 5.3 per cent, 34.2 per cent and 43.2 per cent for the high, middle and low socioeconomic groups, respectively.