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[Iron store status of children aged 6 to 17 years in Beijing in 2016-2017]
Liyu Huang1, Bo Yu1, Yimei Sha1
1Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100013, China.
Insights
Iron deficiency remains a concern in Beijing children aged 6-17. Girls and older children (12-17) show higher rates of low body iron (BI) and iron deficiency, indicating a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Public Health
Context:
- Assessing body iron (BI) levels is crucial for child development.
- Beijing's pediatric population faces potential nutritional challenges.
- Understanding iron status informs public health strategies.
Purpose:
- To quantitatively assess the concentration and distribution of body iron (BI) in Beijing children aged 6 to 17 years.
- To identify demographic factors influencing iron status.
- To determine the prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia in this population.
Summary:
- A 2016-2017 study of 1392 Beijing children (6-17 years) measured body iron (BI) using serum ferritin (SF) and sTfR.
- Average BI was 5.49±2.94 mg/kg, with higher levels in boys and abdominally obese children.
- Prevalence rates: anemia 2.7%, low ferritin 22.5%, iron deficiency 7.8%, negative iron stores 4.3%. Girls and older children (12-17) exhibited higher deficiency rates.
Impact:
- Highlights persistent iron deficiency in Beijing children, particularly among girls and adolescents.
- Provides data for targeted nutritional interventions and public health policy.
- Contributes to the understanding of pediatric iron metabolism and deficiency risk factors.
Objective:
To quantitatively assess the concentration and distribution of body iron(BI) in children aged 6 to 17 years in Beijing.
Methods:
A total of 1392 children aged 6 to 17 years in Beijing were randomly selected for questionnaire survey and physical examination in 2016-2017. Fasting venous blood was collected, serum ferritin(SF) and serum soluble transferrin receptor(sTfR) were measured by immunoturbidimetric assay. BI were calculated, and the concentration and distribution of BI in children aged 6 to 17 years was assessed.
Results:
The average BI level of children aged 6 to 17 in Beijing was(5.49±2.94) mg/kg. The average BI level of boys was higher than that of girls, and the average BI level of children with abdominal obesity was higher than that of children without abdominal obesity, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). The concentration of BI in children aged 6 to 17 years in Beijing was 4-7.99 mg/kg, accounting for the highest proportion(57.3%). The concentration of BI<0 mg/kg accounted for the lowest proportion(4.3%). There were significant differences in the distribution of BI concentration in different gender, age and abdominal obesity(P<0.05). The anemia rate of children aged 6 to 17 in Beijing was 2.7%(95%CI 1.9-3.6), the low ferritin rate(SF<25 μg/L) was 22.5%(95%CI 20.0-24.8), and the iron deficiency rate(SF<15 μg/L) was 7.8%(95%CI 6.4-9.3), the negative iron stores(BI<0 mg/kg) rate was 4.3%(95%CI 3.2-5.3). The anemia rate, low ferritin rate, iron deficiency rate and negative iron stores rate were higher in girls than boys, and higher in children aged 12 to 17 years than in children aged 6 to 11 years, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).
Conclusion:
Iron deficiency was still present in children aged 6 to 17 in Beijing from 2016 to 2017. The proportion of low BI level in girls and children aged 12 to 17 is higher, respectively.
