The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia in High School Students of Baft in 2009

Abstract Background and Objective: Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional problems in the world. This research aimed at determining the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in one of the most endangered age group in Baft, Iran. Material and Method: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 325 high school students selected via simple random sampling (165boysand 160girls). The participants with MCV≤ 80µm or MCH ≤ 27 Pg who had simultaneously TIBC ≤ 15 % or Ferritin ≤ 1 5 ng/ml were considered as an iron deficiency anemia. Results: considering MCV and MCH, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in girls (14.37%) and boys (2.42%) was significantly different (P <0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of anemia in high school students of Baft is significantly high in comparison with other studies. To increase students' intellectual and physical performance, Screening and treatment of iron deficiency are recommended. Keywords: Anemia Iron Deficiency Baft Students