Nutritional risk factors for iron-deficiency anaemia in children 12–24 months old in the area of Thessalia in Greece

Abstract

Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a common problem all over the world, which mainly attacks pregnant women, infants and children. The main objectives were to assess the prevalence of IDA in children 12-24 months old in the area of Thessalia located in the central part of Greece and to identify, by means of a simple questionnaire, its nutritional risk factors. The research was applied as a cross-sectional and case-control study. In the first part of the study, the haemoglobin (Hb) levels were estimated by a mobile photometer analyser in 938 children (approximately one-third of the total children population). In the second part, children with Hb?<?11 g/dl were compared with their random selected healthy controls in haematological, anthropometric and nutritional parameters. The estimated laboratory values were Hb, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb, mean corpuscular Hb concentration, zinc protoporphyrin, serum iron, serum ferritin, transferring saturation, total iron binding capacity and Hb electrophoresis. Finally, 75 children (34 boys, 41 girls; mean age 17.51+/-3.5 months), who were found to have IDA, constituted the case group while 75 healthy children constituted the control group. The studied nutritional variables through the application of a standardized food frequency questionnaire were: duration of breast feeding, milk that the child drinks during the research, age of solid food introduction, child's health status according to the mother's point of view, child's appetite and frequency of bread, cereals, meat, fish, egg, legumes, chocolate, marmalade, vegetables, fruit and tea intake. The prevalence of IDA in the region was 7.99%. The carriers of b-thalassaemia (2.13%) were excluded from the study. Significant statistical difference has been observed between the two groups (P?<?0.001) in all haematological and anthropometric parameters except head circumference (P?=?0.85). Concerning the nutritional indices the two groups were statistically different (P?<?0.001) in the following: the cases were breastfed less, were drinking fresh cow's milk and tea, were eating meat, vegetables and fruit less often, had a bad appetite and were more likely to get sick. In conclusion, the prevalence of IDA in this area of Greece is approximately similar to other areas in the developed world. The application of simple food frequency questionnaires for the detection of the nutritional IDA risk factors could prognose and prevent anaemia.

Prevalência da anemia e fatores associados em crianças de seis a 59 meses de Pernambuco

“…3,10 The association between mothers' schooling level and the care provided for to children has been greatly discussed in the literature, given that education has a relationship with the capacity to grasp the knowledge needed for adequate healthcare and nutrition for children, just as it provides a chance to enter the labor market and probably better socioeconomic conditions. 14,18,23 The results from the present study refl ect this relationship, through showing that the prevalence of anemia was lower among urban children whose mothers had been to school for more than eight years.…”

“…Greater numbers of children in the household implies more domestic work and worse quality of care for the children, and also means greater demand for foods to supply the needs of all members of the family, which may contribute towards greater risk of anemia. 9,23 In the rural area, the number of children under the age fi ve years in the household did not have any impact on the prevalence of anemia. However, this does not indicate that people living in the rural area had better living conditions.…”

Iron status of adolescent girls from two boarding schools in southern Benin

“…Meat is as an excellent source of bioavailable Fe while the vitamin C contained in fruits and vegetables enhances Fe absorption, thus reducing the possibility of ID (40,41) . Tympa-Psirropoulou et al (42) also reported that infrequent consumption of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruit were risk factors for IDA. Inadequate consumption of vegetables and a previous history of pica were reported as risk factors for anaemia by Kara et al (2) in a group of 400 students aged 14 to 16 years.…”

Temporal trends and anaemia-associated factors in 6- to 59-month-old children in Northeast Brazil

“…The association between higher maternal education and lower prevalence of anaemia is related to the realization that maternal education enables mothers' empowerment regarding health information and care for their children (5,16) .…”