Dietary iron intake and biomarkers of iron status in Slovenian population : results of SI.Menu/Nutrihealth study

Lavriša, Živa (author), Hristov, Hristo (author), Hribar, Maša (author), Koroušić-Seljak, Barbara (author), Gregorič, Matej (author), Blaznik, Urška (author), Zaletel, Katja (author), Oblak, Adrijana (author), Osredkar, Joško (author), Kušar, Anita (author), Žmitek, Katja (author), Lainščak, Mitja (author), Pravst, Igor (author)

Inadequate iron intake and iron deficiency are recognised as a public health problem in the population at large, and particularly in specific subpopulations. Dietary iron intake was analysed using data of the national Slovenian food consumption study, SI.Menu (n = 1248 subjects; 10–74 years), while iron status was evaluated with laboratory analyses of blood haemoglobin, serum ferritin, and iron concentration in samples, collected in the Nutrihealth study (n = 280, adults). The estimated daily usual population-weighted mean iron intakes ranged from 16.0 mg in adults and the elderly to 16.7 in adolescents, and were lower in females for all three age groups. The main dietary iron sources in all the age groups were bread and bakery products, meat (products), fruit, and vegetables. The highest prevalence of haemoglobin anaemia was observed in females aged 51–64 years (6.7%). Critically depleted iron stores (ferritin concentration < 15 µg/L) were particularly found in premenopausal females (10.1%). Factors influencing low haemoglobin, ferritin, and iron intake were also investigated. We observed significant correlations between iron status with meat and fish intake, and with iron intake from meat and fish, but not with total iron intake. We can conclude that particularly premenopausal females are the most fragile population in terms of inadequate iron intake and iron deficiency, which should be considered in future research and public health strategies.

• Language: English
• Keywords: iron, intake, ferritin, haemoglobin, deficiency, Slovenia, EU Menu, Nutrihealth
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty; MF - Faculty of Medicine; FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 24 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 23, art. 5144
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142936
• UDC: 546.72:613.292
• ISSN on article: 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14235144
• COBISS.SI-ID: 132231939
• Publication date in RUL: 05.12.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Nutrients
• Shortened title: Nutrients
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6643
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2948140

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: železo, vnos, feritin, hemoglobin, pomanjkanje, Slovenija, EU meni