Anemia, iron status, and associated protective and risk factors among children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years old from four First Nations communities in Quebec

Abstract

Objectives Anemia and iron deficiency (ID) are frequent among Indigenous children of Canada, but few data are available in Quebec. The present study aimed to characterize anemia and ID prevalence and associated protective and risk factors among First Nations youth in Quebec. Methods The 2015 First Nations (JES!-YEH!) pilot study was conducted among children and adolescents (3 to 19 years; n = 198) from four First Nations communities in Quebec. Blood and urine samples and anthropometric measurements were collected. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), plasma hs-CRP, and urinary cotinine levels were measured. Factors associated with anemia and ID (including traditional and market food consumption) were assessed using an interview-administered food frequency questionnaire, based on which nutritional intakes were calculated. Structural equation models were used to test associations. Results The prevalence of anemia and ID was elevated (16.8% and 20.5% respectively). Traditional meat, fruit, and fruit juice (natural and powdered)-via their positive association with vitamin C intake-were the only food variables positively associated with SF (coefficient [95%

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“…(4) Indeed, several recent studies show a growing prevalence of obesity and type-2 diabetes among Indigenous youth in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. (2,5) Furthermore, processed foods may also contain chemical contaminants from food processing and packaging such as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and bisphenol-A (BPA). (6,7) PFAAs are a group of highly persistent chemicals whose production and use as water and oil repellents since the 1950s have led to the contamination of air, water, and wildlife, and subsequent exposure in humans worldwide.…”

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