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Published on: May 4, 2020
Associations of iron status with dietary and other factors in 6-year-old children
B S Gunnarsson1, I Thorsdottir, G Palsson
1Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali-University Hospital & Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. bsg@hi.is
Insights
Dietary factors like meat, fish, and multivitamins may improve iron status in 6-year-olds, while cow's milk may decrease it. Rural residence and slower early growth are linked to better iron levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Iron Metabolism
- Child Health
Background:
- Iron deficiency remains a significant global health concern in children.
- Understanding factors influencing iron status in early childhood is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Dietary habits and environmental factors play a key role in nutrient absorption and utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between iron status at six years of age and various dietary and lifestyle factors.
- To identify specific food groups, supplements, and demographic variables associated with iron levels in young children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 139 children (74% participation rate) from two previous cohorts.
- Detailed dietary intake assessment using 3-day weighed food records.
- Measurement of body size and collection of blood samples for iron status indicators (serum ferritin, hemoglobin, MCV) near the child's sixth birthday.
Main Results:
- Meat, fish, and multivitamin/mineral supplement intake were positively associated with serum ferritin (SF).
- Cow's milk product consumption showed a negative association with SF.
- Juice consumption and rural residence were linked to higher hemoglobin (Hb) levels.
- Children in rural areas had higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) compared to urban counterparts.
- Multivitamin consumers showed no depleted iron stores compared to non-consumers.
Conclusions:
- Positive associations were observed between meat, fish, juice consumption, and multivitamin intake with improved iron status in 6-year-olds.
- Cow's milk consumption was negatively associated with iron status.
- Slower growth during the first year of life and rural residence were positively correlated with better iron status in this age group.
Objective:
To investigate the associations of iron status at 6 years of age with dietary and other factors.
Design:
In a cross-sectional study, children's dietary intakes (3-day weighed food record) were recorded, body size was measured and blood samples were taken near their sixth birthday.
Subjects:
A sample of 188 children, from two previous studies (cohorts 1 and 2), was contacted, and 139 (74%) agreed to participate.
Results:
Multiple regression analyses with dietary and other factors showed that meat and fish consumption, multivitamin/mineral supplement intake (both positively) and cow's milk product consumption (negatively) were associated with log serum ferritin (SF) (adjusted R (2)=0.125; P=0.028; n=129), and juices and residence (rural>urban) with haemoglobin (Hb) (adjusted R (2)=0.085; P=0.034; n=127). Of 21 multivitamin/mineral consumers, none had depleted iron stores compared to 21 iron-depleted of 108 non-consumers (P=0.024). Children living in rural areas (<10,000 inhabitants) (n=33) had higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (83.3+/-2.3 fl) than those living in urban areas (>10,000 inhabitants) (82.1+/-3.2 fl; n=103) (P=0.048). Multiple regression analyses with dietary and other factors and growth showed in cohort 1 that residence (rural>urban), weight gain 0-1years (negatively), and meat and fish intake (positively) were associated with Hb (adjusted R (2)=0.323; P=0.030; n=51), meat and fish (positively) with both log SF (adjusted R (2)=0.069; P=0.035; n=52) and MCV (adjusted R (2)=0.064; P=0.035; n=52), and in cohort 2 cow's milk product consumption (negatively) was associated with log SF (adjusted R (2)=0.119; P=0.017; n=41) and residence (rural>urban) with MCV (adjusted R (2)=0.102; P=0.025; n=41).
Conclusions:
Consumption of meat and fish and possibly also juices, as well as multivitamin/mineral intake might affect iron status in 6-year-old children positively, whereas cow's milk product consumption might affect iron status negatively. Slower growth in the first year of life and rural residence are positively related to iron status of 6-year-olds.
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