Daily iron intake and BMI for age but not for daily tannin intake increase hemoglobin levels in young females at Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Introduction: Prevalence of anemia among young women in Indonesia has been seen to increase in the last five years. This situation indicates that this nutritional disorder looks like an iceberg phenomenon. Daily consumption of vegetables containing foods is recommended for prevention of non-communicable diseases including anemia. These foods contain not only ferric ions but also other natural compounds. Aim: To analyse the relationship of daily intake of micronutrients and polyphenols with hemoglobin levels in young females. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 117 young females who studied in six senior high schools in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java; they were selected using a purposive sampling. Data of micronutrients and polyphenols intake were collected using the Semi Quantitative-Food Frequency questionnaire. Blood samples from lower arm veins were used for hemoglobin measurements in a hematology analyser. The collected data were analysed using the Rank Spearman and multiple regression linear tests to evaluate the relationship of micronutrients and polyphenols intake with the hemoglobin levels. Results: The prevalence of anemia was 17.1% among 20/117 young females. Higher dietary intake of iron (b=0.043; p<0.001) and higher BMI for age (b=0.246; p=0.025) increased the Hb levels while higher dietary intake of tannin (b=−0.003; p=0.009) decreased them. Conclusions: Dietary intake of iron and BMI for age are related to the hemoglobin levels but tannin intake is inversely related to these levels in young females. Higher iron intake from vegetable resources should be taken into account for anemia reduction in young females due to the presence of tannins.