Table 1 Youden’s index, accuracy, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of each hematological index and classification tree algorithm for differentiation between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and β‐thalassemia trait (βTT) with their 95% confidence interval

81.58 (76.26–86.05)

91.51 (89.77–93.04)

7.39 (5.83–9.37)

85.12 (80.27–89.07)

93.38 (91.81–94.73)

8.41 (6.54–10.81)

79.96 (74.43–84.65)

90.49 (88.67–92.11)

7.37 (5.79–9.36)

88.03 (83.52–91.59)

94.57 (93.12–95.79)

11.09 (8.28–14.86)

81.23 (75.85–85.75)

91.26 (89.49–92.81)

7.47 (5.88–9.49)

83.49 (78.44–87.66)

92.61 (90.97–94.04)

7.65 (6.02–9.72)

87.81 (83.34–91.34)

94.65 (93.21–95.87)

9.97 (7.58–13.12)

39.46 (31.61–46.93)

70.97 (68.28–73.55)

2.085 (1.84–2.37)

67.93 (61.37–73.78)

84.38 (82.18–86.41)

4.76 (3.92–5.78)

48.82 (41.84–55.22)

71.65 (68.98–74.21)

5.097 (3.96–6.56)

54.89 (47.68–55.22)

79.03 (76.59–81.32)

2.80 (2.44–3.22)

71.25 (64.95–76.81)

86.33 (84.24–88.24)

4.99 (4.10–6.06)

58.83 (51.84–65.18)

78.44 (75.98–80.76)

4.74 (3.83–5.86)

15.32 (11.66–18.90)

66.21 (63.43–68.91)

1.18 (1.14–1.23)

 − 15.83 (− 21.04 to − 10.61)

34.38 (31.67–37.17)

0.20 (0.13–0.30)

3.70 (0.04–7.52)

60.95 (58.09–63.75)

1.04 (1.01–1.07)

62.21 (55.29–68.47)

81.15 (78.80–83.35)

4.25 (3.52–5.13)

32.87 (26.06–39.44)

71.48 (68.80–74.04)

1.56 (1.44–1.69)

57.28 (50.30–63.70)

80.64 (78.27–82.86)

2.83 (2.47–3.25)

2.78 (− 0.68 to 6.40)

60.61 (57.76–63.41)

1.03 (1–1.06)

40.70 (33.65–47.24)

66.81 (64.04–69.50)

4.36 (3.38–5.61)

6.02 (− 15.26–11.98)

46.10 (43.22–48.99)

1.47 (1.11–1.95)

60.66 (54.29–66.44)

83.28 (81.02–85.36)

2.77 (2.44–3.14)

72.96 (66.78–78.37)

86.93 (84.87–88.80)

5.63 (4.56–6.96)

70.86 (64.73–76.21)

84.38 (82.18–86.41)

8.57 (6.45–11.38)

73.38 (67.24–78.75)

87.18 (85.14–89.04)

5.67 (4.58–6.99)

55.05 (49.02–60.56)

81.58 (79.25–83.75)

2.29 (2.06–2.55)

57.27 (50.15–63.77)

77.93 (75.45–80.27)

4.20 (3.45–5.13)

67.62 (61.41–73.08)

82.26 (79.95–84.40)

8.95 (6.63–12.07)

41.87 (34.09–49.23)

72.24 (69.59–74.78)

2.18 (1.92–2.48)

71.07 (64.87–76.50)

84.81 (82.63–86.81)

7.55 (5.81–9.81)

51.70 (44.32–58.58)

77.25 (74.75–79.62)

2.66 (2.32–3.06)

11.68 (5.73–17.35)

48.81 (45.92–51.71)

2.25 (1.64–3.08)

54.11 (46.87–60.80)

78.69 (76.24–80.99)

2.74 (2.39–3.15)

32.29 (24.46–39.83)

68.68 (65.94–71.32)

1.69 (1.53–1.88)

50.98 (43.74–57.73)

77.76 (75.27–80.10)

2.43 (2.14–2.75)

46.34 (39.79–52.48)

77.50 (75.01–79.86)

1.96 (1.78–2.16)

4.35 (− 3.32 to 11.86)

47.96 (45.08–50.86)

1.16 (0.97–1.39)

3.27 (− 4.43 to 10.85)

47.54 (44.65–50.44)

1.12 (0.93–1.34)

 − 4.91 (− 1.31 to 3.40)

48.89 (46.01–51.79)

0.92 (0.83–1.01)

30.29 (22.67–37.66)

68.59 (65.85–71.24)

1.58 (1.44–1.74)

38.71 (31.29–45.79)

72.67 (70.02–75.19)

1.82 (1.65–2.02)

58.60 (51.48–65.09)

79.20 (76.77–81.49)

3.89 (3.25–4.69)

46.40 (39.10–53.16)

70.97 (68.28–73.55)

3.95 (3.18–4.90)

14.89 (11.28–18.44)

66.04 (63.26–68.75)

1.18 (1.13–1.22)

29.79 (22.21–36.99)

61.63 (58.78–64.42)

2.57 (2.10–3.15)

59.29 (52.21–65.76)

80.31 (77.92–82.54)

3.51 (2.97–4.14)

63.96 (57.17–70.09)

82.94 (80.66–85.04)

3.81 (3.22–4.51)

55.33 (48.04–62.05)

78.35 (75.89–80.67)

3.15 (2.69–3.69)

64.70 (58.66–70.10)

85.23 (83.07–87.21)

3.027 (2.65–3.46)

 − 32.50 (− 40 to − 24.65)

31.32 (28.68–34.06)

0.40 (0.34–0.47)

9.45 (2.23–16.46)

49.58 (46.68–52.47)

1.48 (1.19–1.83)