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The role of blood loss and diet in the aetiology of mild iron deficiency in premenopausal adult New Zealand women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2007

Anne-Louise M Heath ,
C Murray Skeaff ,
Sheila Williams  and
Rosalind S Gibson
Anne-Louise M Heath
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
C Murray Skeaff
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Sheila Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
Rosalind S Gibson*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author: Email rosalind.gibson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
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Abstract

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Objective

To investigate the role of blood loss and diet in the aetiology of mild iron deficiency (MID) in premenopausal New Zealand women. Mild iron deficiency was defined as low, but not necessarily exhausted, iron stores (i.e. serum ferritin <20 μg/L) in the absence of anaemia (i.e. haemoglobin ≥120 g/L).

Design

Cross-sectional study of a volunteer sample of premenopausal adult women. Information on habitual dietary intakes (using a specially designed and validated computerised iron food frequency questionnaire), health and demographic status, sources of blood loss (including menstrual blood loss estimated using a validated menstrual recall method), contraceptive use, height and weight, haemoglobin, serum ferritin and C-reactive protein were collected.

Setting

Dunedin, New Zealand during 1996/1997.

Participants

Three hundred and eighty-four women aged 18–40 years.

Results

The characteristics that were associated with an increased risk of MID were: low meat/fish/poultry intake, high menstrual blood loss, recent blood donation, nose bleeds, and low body mass index. The protective factors included shorter duration of menstrual bleeding, and multivitamin–mineral supplement use in the past year.

Conclusions

There are a number of potentially modifiable factors that appear to influence risk of MID. Women with low menstrual blood loss may be able to decrease their risk of MID by increasing their meat/fish/poultry intake, while those with a higher menstrual blood loss may be able to decrease their risk by decreasing their menstrual blood loss, perhaps by changing their method of contraception. Women should be encouraged to maintain a healthy body weight, and those who choose to donate blood, or who experience nose bleeds, should have their iron stores monitored.

Keywords

Iron deficiencyRisk factorsDiet surveysWomen's healthPremenopausal women
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 197 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2001

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