Anaemia and iron deficiency screening in adolescence: a pilot study of iron stores and haemoglobin response to iron treatment in a population of 14-15-year-olds in Norway.
Screening for haemoglobin (Hb) and s-ferritin, in 176 of all 189 (93%) pupils at 8th grade (14-15-years-old) in one Norwegian community was performed in order to map the prevalence of anaemia and depleted iron stores. In order to determine the clinical significance of the findings, a questionnaire aimed at detecting symptoms or risk factors for iron deficiency was completed by all participants, and a 3 mo therapeutic trial with iron was offered to subjects with s-ferritin values below 15 microg/l. Four percent of girls and 8% of boys were anaemic according to WHO cut-off levels. S-ferritin