1. Intake and dietary sources of haem and non-haem iron among European adolescents and their association with iron status and different lifestyle and socio-economic factors
- Author
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Marcela González-Gross, Dénes Molnár, Catherine Leclercq, A. Kafatos, Magdalena Cuenca-García, Stefanie Vandevijvere, K. Stevens, J. V. Santamaría, Mattias Sjöström, Nathalie Michels, Mathilde Kersting, Y. Manios, I. Huybrechts, Kurt Widhalm, Luis A. Moreno, Jean Dallongeville, Aline Meirhaeghe, Marika Ferrari, Evangelia Grammatikaki, S. Verstraete, Frédéric Gottrand, Theodora Mouratidou, S. De Henauw, and Lena Hallström
- Subjects
Male ,Food intake ,Meat ,Adolescent ,Cross-sectional study ,Population ,Non haem iron ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Nutritional Status ,Heme ,Motor Activity ,Body Mass Index ,Environmental health ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,polycyclic compounds ,Medicine ,Cluster Analysis ,Humans ,Motor activity ,Food science ,education ,Child ,Life Style ,education.field_of_study ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Nutrition assessment ,business.industry ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Body Weight ,Bread ,Diet ,Europe ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Nutrition Assessment ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Linear Models ,Female ,Iron status ,business ,Energy Intake ,Body mass index ,Iron, Dietary - Abstract
Adolescents are at risk of iron deficiency because of their high iron requirements. The aims of this study were: (1) to assess iron intake, its determinants and its most important food sources and; (2) to evaluate the relation of iron intake and status in European adolescents.Two non-consecutive 24-h recalls were completed by a computerised tool. The socio-demographic and socio-economic data were collected by a self-reported questionnaire. Weight and height were measured. A distinction was made between haem and non-haem iron.The total iron intake was significantly higher among boys (13.8 mg/day; n=1077) than girls (11.0 mg/day; n=1253). About 97.3% of the boys and 87.8% of the girls met the estimated average requirement, and 72.4% of the boys and 13.7% of the girls met the recommendation for bio-available iron intake. The ratio of haem/non-haem iron intake was lower for girls than boys. Meat (19.2; 76%) and bread and rolls (12.6;3.9%) contributed most to total and haem iron intake. Bread and rolls (13.8%) and meat (10.8%) contributed most to non-haem iron intake. Age, sex and body mass index were associated with iron intake. Only red blood cell concentration was significantly negatively associated with total, haem and non-haem iron intake.Girls had lower iron intakes and ratio of haem/non-haem iron intake than boys. The main total iron and haem iron source was meat, while the main non-haem iron source was bread and rolls. Adolescent girls may be a group at risk for iron deficiency. Consequently, special attention and strategies are needed in order to improve iron intakes during adolescence.
- Published
- 2012