Iron status of adolescent females in three schools in an urban area of Sri Lanka.

Ninety-three females in the age group 14-18 years were randomly selected from three schools in Colombo. Their iron and nutritional status was assessed using clinical, anthropometric, haematological, and biochemical parameters. Haemoglobin levels less than 12 g/dl were seen in 3.7 per cent of adolescent females. Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels greater than 70 micrograms/dl and serum percentage transferrin saturation values less than 16 per cent indicate iron deficiency and were seen in 10 per cent and 14 per cent of the subjects, respectively. Serum ferritin levels less than 12 micrograms/l indicate depleted iron stores and were seen in 59 per cent of the subjects studied. Our results suggest that although overt anaemia was not common among the subjects studied, a large number of subjects belonging to the lower socio-economic groups were in the early stages of iron deficiency and had depleted iron stores. These subjects are, therefore, at risk of developing clinical manifestations of iron deficiency when the demand for iron is increased, as in pregnancy.