A. Bhargava et al., Dietary intakes and socioeconomic factors are associated with the hemoglobin concentration of Bangladeshi women, J NUTR, 131(3), 2001, pp. 758-764
Iron deficiency anemia affects a large number of women in developing countr
ies, especially during child-bearing years. The hemoglobin concentration is
useful for identifying iron deficiency anemia. The main objectives of this
study were, first, to extend algorithms for calculating bioavailable iron
from mixed diets, taking into account the enhancers and inhibitors of iron
absorption under alternative assumptions on body iron stores. Second, a com
prehensive longitudinal model was developed for the proximate determinants
of hemoglobin concentration that included the subjects' dietary intakes, nu
tritional status, morbidity and socioeconomic factors and the unobserved be
tween-subject differences. The model for hemoglobin concentration was estim
ated using three repeated observations on 514 free living women in Banglade
sh. Socioeconomic factors affecting the iron intake from meat, fish and pou
ltry and from all animal sources were also modeled. The main results were t
hat bioavailable iron, women's height and mid upper arm circumference and i
ntake of iron tablets were significant predictors of hemoglobin concentrati
on. Increases in household incomes were associated with higher intake of ir
on from meat, fish and poultry and from all animal sources, The algorithms
for estimating bioavailable iron showed the importance of assumptions regar
ding body iron stores and underscored the need to develop suitable algorith
ms for subjects in developing countries.