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Iron deficiency in Australian-born children of Arabic background in central Sydney
M A Karr1, M Mira, G Alperstein
1Division of General Practice, Central Sydney Area Health Service, NSW.
Insights
Iron deficiency is common in young Arabic-speaking Australian children. Risk factors include premature birth, shorter maternal residency in Australia, and high daily cow's milk intake. Targeted screening is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Iron deficiency and anaemia are significant global health concerns in young children.
- Children of Arabic-speaking background in Australia may have unique risk factors for impaired iron status.
- Understanding the prevalence and risk factors is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of iron depletion, iron deficiency without anaemia, and iron-deficiency anaemia.
- To identify risk factors associated with iron depletion in Australian-born children of Arabic-speaking background aged 12-36 months.
Main Methods:
- A community-based survey was conducted in Central Sydney.
- Participants included 403 children (62.9% response rate) born to Arabic-speaking mothers.
- Measurements included full blood count, plasma ferritin, and assessment of risk factors.
Main Results:
- 23% of children were iron depleted, 9% had iron deficiency without anaemia, and 6% had iron-deficiency anaemia.
- Significant risk factors for iron depletion included <37 weeks' gestation (OR 5.88), mother resident <8.5 years in Australia (OR 1.96), and >600 mL daily cow's milk intake (OR 3.89).
Conclusions:
- Impaired iron status is prevalent in this pediatric population.
- Targeted screening for iron deficiency is recommended for children of Arabic background.
- Public health initiatives should address identified risk factors like excessive cow's milk consumption and support for migrant families.
Objectives:
To determine the prevalence of iron depletion and deficiency, and iron-deficiency anaemia, along with risk factors for iron depletion, in Australian-born children aged 12-36 months of Arabic-speaking background.
Design:
Community-based survey.
Setting:
Central Sydney Area Health Service (CSAHS), NSW, April to August, 1997.
Participants:
All children born at five Sydney hospitals between 1 May 1994 and 30 April 1996, whose mothers gave an Arabic-speaking country of birth and resided in the area served by the CSAHS.
Main Outcome Measures:
Full blood count (haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume), plasma ferritin concentration, haemoglobin electrophoresis, potential risk factors for iron depletion.
Results:
Families of 641 of the 1,161 eligible children were able to be contacted, and 403 agreed to testing (response rate, 62.9% among those contacted). Overall, 6% of children had iron-deficiency anaemia, another 9% were iron deficient without anaemia, and 23% were iron depleted. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed three significant independent risk factors for iron depletion: <37 weeks' gestation (odds ratio [OR], 5.88, P=0.001); mother resident in Australia for less than the median time of 8.5 years (OR, 1.96, P=0.016); and daily intake of >600 mL cows' milk (OR, 3.89, P=<0.001).
Conclusion:
Impaired iron status is common among children of Arabic background, and targeted screening is recommended for this group.