DIETARY IRON INTAKE AND IRON STATUS IN ADOLESCENTS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary iron intake of 15-ye ar-old adolescents from two different regions of Sweden, in relation t o their iron status. The study comprised 185 boys and 209 girls, rando mly selected from the official population register. The iron intake wa s calculated from a 7-day record, and varied between 7 and 35 and 6 an d 27 mg per day for boys and girls, respectively. The daily median int akes in boys and girls were 18.7 and 14.2 mg, respectively. S-ferritin , s-iron, and s-transferrin saturation, measured in all the subjects, did not differ significantly between the two regions. However, the mea n serum ferritin concentration was significantly higher in the boys (3 6.4 mu g l(-1)) than in the girls (29.4 mu g l(-1)) (P < 0.001). Low s -ferritin levels, defined as s-ferritin < 12 mu g l(-1) were found in seven boys (3.7%) and in 29 girls (13.9%). None of the adolescents had iron deficiency anaemia, defined as Hb < 110 g l(-1) in combination w ith s-ferritin < 12 mu g l(-1). Regression and correlation analyses di d not show any significant correlation between dietary iron intake and s-ferritin, or between s-ferritin and haemoglobin (Hb), MCH and MCHC. A significant correlation was found, however, between s-ferritin and transferrin saturation (p < 0.005) in both sexes. When the adolescents who still had s-ferritin < 12 mu g l(-1) at a second blood examinatio n were given a 6 weeks trial with oral iron therapy, all of them showe d an increase both in s-ferritin and in blood Hb. The 95% confidence i ntervals of s-ferritin for 15-year-old Swedish boys and girls were def ined as 11-90 and 7-85 mu g l(-1), respectively.