title: [Menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status in female undergraduate students].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status in female undergraduate students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty female undergraduate students were selected by simple random sampling method, the general information were investigated by questionnaire. The menstrual blood was collected by weighing every pad before and after use, and the blood not collected in pads was estimated. Hemoglobin, serum free protoporphyrin and serum ferritin were measured by regular method. The relationship between menstrual blood loss and iron nutritional status was analyzed by bivariate correlation statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average menstrual period was (4.5 +/- 1.4) days. The average menstrual blood loss was (59.3 +/- 25.1) g, in a range of 24 g to 110 g. The average content of serum ferritin, free protoporphyrin and hemoglobin was (25.13 +/- 14.33) ng/ml, (0.06 +/- 0.01) microg/ml and (131.61 +/- 9.76) g/L respectively. There were 22.58% of subjects in iron reduction period (serum ferritin < 12 ng/ml). The menstrual blood loss was negatively correlated with serum ferritin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount of menstrual blood loss among individual students was significantly different. No clinical anemia does not mean in a good iron nutritional status. Serum ferritin is a sensitive indicator for iron nutritional status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yuexiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhenwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron