Defining anemia in a preadolescent African American population.
Preadolescents often have poor nutritional habits. Demands for rapid growth require essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence/incidence of anemia in this age group and to identify possible predictors of anemia in African American preadolescents. A retrospective chart review of 455 African American preadolescents enrolled in two school-based clinics was conducted. Thirty percent of the sample had hematocrit values below 37% for males and below 35% for females. These data showed that anemia is an understated problem among African American preadolescents. No identifiable predictors were found; therefore routine screening for anemia is an essential component of the preadolescent annual health examination.
Feroli
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Hobson
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D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015994:Incidence; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies