Iron deficiency in Massachusetts communities: socioeconomic and demographic risk factors among children

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 544 - 550
• Main Authors: Sargent, J.D. (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.), Stukel, T.A, Dalton, M.A, Freeman, J.L, Brown, M.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.04.1996; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: AGE; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - ethnology; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - etiology; Asian people; BEBES; Biological and medical sciences; CARENCE EN OLIGOELEMENT; Censuses; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; DEFICIENCIA DE OLIGOELEMENTOS; Demographic aspects; Demographics; EDAD; Educational Status; ENFANT EN AGE PRESCOLAIRE; ENFANT EN BAS AGE; ENSAYO; ERITROCITOS; ERYTHROCYTE; Estimates; ESTRUCTURA SOCIAL; Ethnic groups; FER; GROUPE ETHNIQUE; GRUPOS ETNICOS; HIERRO; Humans; Infant; Iron; Iron deficiency; Laboratories; Lead content; Lead poisoning; Mass Screening; MASSACHUSETTS; Massachusetts - epidemiology; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; NINOS DE EDAD PREESCOLAR; Nutrition; Odds Ratio; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Population; Population Surveillance; PORFIRINAS; PORPHYRINE; Preschool children; Prevention programs; Public health; RIESGO; Risk Factors; RISQUE; Secondary schools; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic aspects; Socioeconomic Factors; STRUCTURE SOCIALE; TESTAGE; United States; North America; Massachusetts; America; United States > US; Human; Demography; Socioeconomic status; Deficiency; Risk factor; Iron; Inorganic element; Child; Epidemiology; Ethnic group; Public health
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.86.4.544
• ISSN: 0090-0036

This study examined the association between community rates of iron deficiency in children and sociodemographic characteristics of Massachusetts communities. Between April 1990 and March 1991, 238 273 Massachusetts children 6 through 59 months of age were screened; iron deficiency was defined as an erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentration of 0.62 micromoles/L or higher and a blood lead level of less than 1.2 micromoles/L. Sociodemographic data were obtained from the 1990 US Census. Five percent of communities had iron deficiency rates greater than 13.9 per 100 children screened. Iron deficiency rate was positively associated with proportion of Southeast Asians (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08, 1.12), proportion of Hispanics (OR = 1.008, 95% CI = 1.002, 1.013), and high school incompletion (OR = 1.028, 95% CI = 1.020, 1.035). Similarly, an examination of three Massachusetts cities indicated that the iron deficiency rate was higher for children with Southeast Asian (relative risk [RR] = 3.6, 95% CI = 3.3, 3.8) and Hispanic (RR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.5, 1.8) surnames than for all other children. Wide variation exists in iron deficiency rates for children in Massachusetts communities. Community iron deficiency was associated with low socioeconomic status and high proportions of Southeast Asians and Hispanics