Kevin M is a single dad with
three kids. He's been having trouble with his oldest child
Brittany, aged 14. Ever since she joined the high school
track team, he's noticed that she sleeps 'til noon, stares
into space when he tries to talk to her and snaps at her
little brother at every opportunity. Kevin read on the
internet that fatigue, poor concentration and irritability
are symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. The literature
also says this is a common condition among teens. So he
decided to ask his GP if that could be her problem. Kevin
isn't the first parent to look for a medical explanation
for his teen's erratic behaviour.
Parenting a teenager can turn even
the most laid-back person into a worrywart, but a new
study of Alberta teenagers published in the July 2005
Journal of Adolescent Health suggests that one
potential concern, iron deficiency among adolescents,
is less common than widely believed.
GENDER
SPECIFIC A cross-sectional survey of 396 Edmonton
high school students found that 6% of teenage girls
were iron deficient, with only 3.4% meeting the criteria
for iron deficiency anemia. None of the teenage boys
surveyed met the criteria for iron deficiency or resulting
anemia. "Iron deficiency was lower than expected
in this adolescent population, relative to previous
Canadian research and similar American data," said
study co-author Heather Deegan, MSc, a Registered Dietitian
at the University of Alberta Department of Agricultural,
Food and Nutrition Science.
The only difference between the
group with iron deficiency and those without was their
iron intake. Demographic, behavioural and medical factors
thought to influence iron status, including smoking,
skipping meals, following fad diets, participation in
intense physical activity, and, in the case of teenage
girls, heavy menstrual flow, did not differ significantly
between the two groups.
"The type and bioavailability
of dietary iron may have more influence on iron status
[than] lifestyle and biological factors," said
Ms Deegan. She advises GPs "to consider such potential
causes in the presence of iron deficiency and iron deficiency
anemia" adding that "a registered dietitian
can conduct a detailed nutritional assessment and provide
individualized nutrition recommendations regarding type
and bioavailability of dietary iron."
J Adolesc Health. 2005
Jul;37(1):75 e15-21
|
