Iron deficiency anemia is most common nutritional deficiency disorder in India and remains a formidable health challenge. Girls in the period of later school age and early adolescence are prone to develop iron deficiency. Iron deficiency leads to many non-hematological disturbances which include growth and development, depressed immune function in infants; reduces physical work capacity; decreases the cognitive function in both infants and adolescents. Present study was done to know the prevalence of iron deficiency in both the anemic and non anemic school going adolescent girls, to assess the effect of iron deficiency on cognitive functions in anemic iron deficient and non-anemic iron deficient school girls in a village school situated in central India. Methods. A secondary school having girl students in the age group of 12–15 years studying in sixth to ninth standard was selected. Serum ferritin concentration was estimated by ELISA. For assessing the cognitive function mathematics score, one multi-component test for memory, attention and verbal learning and Intelligent Quotient scores of the students were used. Results. Scholastic Performance, IQ and Scores of Mental balance, Attention & Concentration, Verbal Memory and Recognition were decreased in iron deficient girls, both anemic and non anemic as compared to the non iron deficient girls. 1. Introduction Iron deficiency is the third greatest global health risk after obesity and unsafe sex [1]. Anemia resulting from iron deficiency affects approximately 2 billion people or 34% of the world population [2]. Iron deficiency anemia most severe stage of iron deficiency (defined as a low hemoglobin concentration with iron deficiency) was found in 3% of the adolescent females in the United State of America [3]. Iron deficiency has both physiologic and pathologic causes. Physiologic causes relate to the greater iron demands during periods of growth and development whereas pathologic causes refer to iron losses secondary to a chronic medical condition. In general, iron deficiency results when iron demands by the body are not met by iron absorption. Thus, iron deficiency can result from inadequate intake, impaired absorption, increased requirements, and chronic blood loss. More than half of the world’s undernourished population lives in India [4] and half of Indian children and women are malnourished [5]. Apart from overall poverty and lower literacy rate the health status of women in India reflects gender discrimination from birth [6]. Intrafamilial food distribution, where the males are privileged with high
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