[Comparison of hemoglobin level and anemia prevalence between female and male post-adolescent high school graduates].

OBJECTIVE

Anemia morbidity in the population of adolescent and post-adolescent high school student has been paid little attention. Iron deficiency anemia is one of common maladies of micronutrient depletions, which has been proven to be damaging to cognition and intelligence performance. To probe into relationship between possible micronutrient deficiencies among post-adolescent schoolgirls and their poor intelligence performance comparing with same aged boys, this investigation was carried out.

METHODS

Blood hemoglobin levels of 2624 senior high school student, including 1050 females and 1754 males with average age of 18.89 +/- 1.30 years, were determined at the time when they took part in physical examination for the National University Entrance Test.

RESULTS

Anemic prevalence among female high-school graduates was 11.3%, much higher than 1.5% of males (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The high anemic morbidity in post-adolescent high schoolgirls exists, and it may be turned up to be one of causes of dropping behind in school test performance to them.