Anemia is prevalent in an urban, African-American adolescent population
L. Leshan, M. Gottlieb and D. Mark
Family Practice Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of anemia in urban indigent
African-American adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional sample of hemoglobin
values. SETTING: School-based clinic and health fair in an inner-city,
predominantly African-American public high school. SUBJECTS: Ninety-nine
adolescents presenting for preparticipation athletic physical examinations
between August and December 1990 and 76 adolescents participating in
screening activities at a high school health fair on March 12, 1991.
METHODS: Finger-stick and venipuncture hemoglobin samples were obtained
from presumably healthy adolescents. The percentage of anemic students was
determined by means of a hemoglobin cutoff of less than 120 g/L, and with
the exclusion of samples from pregnant students or those positive for
sickle cell trait or disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hemoglobin values in
169 students. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD hemoglobin level for girls was 115
+/- 15 g/L; 50% of the girls had hemoglobin levels less than 120 g/L. The
mean hemoglobin level for boys was 129 +/- 13 g/L; 16.5% of boys had
hemoglobin levels less than 120 g/L. CONCLUSION: Anemia may be a common
condition in inner-city African-American adolescents.
