DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i01.008

Pages: 42-45

Anaemia is the most commonly diagnosed clinical nutritional disorder in today`s world. Adolescence is à challenging and transition phase in a process of growth & development from a child to an adult. Many Indian studies have evaluated prevalence & type of anaemia but few data is available for the type of anaemia prevalent on the basis of Blood Indices, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and very few studies on adolescent boys. The pressent study was conducted among 142 anaemic adolescent boys and girls. Detailed Blood Indicess with RDW were investigated and evaluated after history taking, physical examination and informed consent. MCV, MCH, MCHC is significantly reduced in girls compared to boys while RDW is increased in both sexes which suggests microcytic hypochromic type of anaemia. Anaemia is equally prevalent in both sexes though more severe in girls and it is of iron deficiency type of nutritiona lanaemia. Efforts should be made to improve nutritional status of both adolescent boys and girls through community awareness, nutrition education and supplementation programmes.