Poor Performance of Risk-Based Screening for Adolescent Iron Deficiency or Anemia

Current joint guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Bright Futures (BF), and the CDC recommend screening for iron deficiency anemia in adolescent girls based on the presence of four indicators (no iron-rich foods in diet, history of iron deficiency anemia, excessive menstrual or other bleeding, menses duration >5 days). Investigators sought to determine the predictive performance of this approach and of an alternate model including additional risk items measuring mood/depressive symptoms, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, fatigue/sleep problems, and food security.

One hundred adolescent girls participated, completing questionnaires and undergoing blood testing. All C-reactive protein levels were normal, b…