Anemia is prevalent in an urban, African-American adolescent population

To determine the prevalence of anemia in urban indigent African-American adolescents.

Cross-sectional sample of hemoglobin values.

School-based clinic and health fair in an inner-city, predominantly African-American public high school.

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.

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.

Hemoglobin values in 169 students.

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.

Anemia may be a common condition in inner-city African-American adolescents.