Abstract :
Background: Iron requirements are increased in adolescent girls with growth and the onset of menarche and remain high
in women until menopause. Methods: We conducted a study on 18-25 years females of lower socioeconomic status as
per the Modified Kuppuswamy’s Scale to study the effect of the phases of menstrual cycle & socioeconomic class on the
iron status indicators (Hb, Serum Iron, TIBC, MCV & TS%).Menstrual phases were defined and blood samples were drawn
from all the girls in all the 3 phases (menstrual, follicular & luteal) and Hb, Serum iron & Total iron binding capacity were
assessed on a semi-auto-analyzer & MCV was estimated using a fully automated CBC machine. Transferrin Saturation
was derived as Serum Iron / TIBC × 100. Results: We found that the values of iron status indicators varied significantly
according to the menstrual cycle, with values highest during the luteal phase and lowest during the menstrual phase. From
our observations we can conclude that the nutritional status (assessed by the height, weight & BMI) and the iron status
indicators both are significantly lower in the females of lower SES. Hence, socio-economic class has a major determining
role on an individual’s health. Conclusion: The effect of hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle also has a part to
play in the variation of iron status measures, which has to be considered while measuring them in a female during her
reproductive years.
Keyword :
Iron status indicators (ISI), Menstrual Cycle, Socioeconomic Status (SES).