title: Prevalence of iron deficiency in Auckland high school students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of iron deficiency and anaemia in high school students.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was carried out at eight Auckland high schools with a high proportion (> or =15%) of Pacific Islands students. All students in Forms 5-7 at these schools were invited to participate, and 1644 students (Pacific Island 765, Asian 350, European 295, Maori 234) had iron assessments (response rate 61%). Iron deficiency was defined as any two (or more) of the following, three: serum ferritin <12 microg/L, iron saturation <14%, or red cell distribution width >14.5%. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <120 g/L for females and <130 g/L for males.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Iron deficiency and anaemia were each ten times more common in girls (18.3% and 11.5%, respectively) than boys (1.5% and 1.4%). In females, iron deficiency was two to three times more common in Maori (25.6%), Pacific Islanders (20.9%) and Asians (15.4%) compared with Europeans (8.3 %), while anaemia was three to four times more common in Asians (15.9%), Pacific Islanders (12.1%) and Maori (11.2%) compared with Europeans (4.2%). Iron deficiency and anaemia prevalences were inversely associated with aerobic fitness, but not with age or years since menarche.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalences of iron deficiency and anaemia are high in non-European female adolescents in Auckland, for reasons currently unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, University of Auckland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scragg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buchanan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011114:Polynesia / Q000208:ethnology; D012306:Risk; D017678:Sex Distribution