The magnitude and distribution across countries of iron deficiency using serum/plasma ferritin

Main Article Content

Zuguo Mei Laurence M. Grummer-Strawn

Abstract

Background: In 2004, World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of serum ferritin as a primary indicator of iron deficiency. However, there was limited data on the magnitude and distribution of iron deficiency based on ferritin.


Objective: To describe the prevalence of iron deficiency as measured by serum/plasma ferritin in different regions of the world and its relationship with demographic and health indicators.


Methods: Data from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutrition Determinants of Anemia and the WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System Micronutrients Database were used for this analysis. Unadjusted and inflammation-adjusted low ferritin prevalence were calculated for both databases. The prevalence of low ferritin among preschool children and non-pregnant women was examined according to its relationship with national gross domestic product (GDP), infant mortality rate (IMR), and anemia rate.


Results: In children, the median inflammation-adjusted prevalence of low ferritin was 35.3% (1st and 3rd quartiles: 17.5% and 48.1%). In non-pregnant women, the median inflammation-adjusted prevalence of low ferritin was 28.4% (1st and 3rd quartiles: 21.4% and 42.0%). For both children and women, the correlation between the prevalence of low ferritin and GDP, IMR, or anemia was consistently stronger using inflammation-adjusted prevalences than when using unadjusted prevalences.


Conclusions: The quartile values of low ferritin prevalence for children and non-pregnant women could be used to define the severity of ferritin as a public health problem.

Keywords: ferritin, iron deficiency, public health significance, children, women

Article Details

How to Cite
MEI, Zuguo; GRUMMER-STRAWN, Laurence M.. The magnitude and distribution across countries of iron deficiency using serum/plasma ferritin. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 7, n. 12, dec. 2019. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/2027>. Date accessed: 28 mar. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v7i12.2027.
Section
Research Articles

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