The magnitude and distribution of iron deficiency using serum/plasma ferritin among preschool children and non-pregnant women: a multi-country analysis.

BACKGROUND

In 2004, World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of serum ferritin as a primary indicator of iron deficiency. However, there was limited data on the magnitude and distribution of iron deficiency based on ferritin.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of iron deficiency as measured by serum/plasma ferritin in different regions of the world and its relationship with demographic and health indicators.

METHODS

Data from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutrition Determinants of Anemia and the WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System Micronutrients Database were used for this analysis. Unadjusted and inflammation-adjusted low ferritin prevalence were calculated for both databases. The prevalence of low ferritin among preschool children and non-pregnant women was examined according to its relationship with national gross domestic product (GDP), infant mortality rate (IMR), and anemia rate.

RESULTS

In children, the median inflammation-adjusted prevalence of low ferritin was 35.3% (1 and 3 quartiles: 17.5% and 48.1%). In non-pregnant women, the median inflammation-adjusted prevalence of low ferritin was 28.4% (1 and 3 quartiles: 21.4% and 42.0%). For both children and women, the correlation between the prevalence of low ferritin and GDP, IMR, or anemia was consistently stronger using inflammation-adjusted prevalences than when using unadjusted prevalences.

CONCLUSIONS

The quartile values of low ferritin prevalence for children and non-pregnant women could be used to define the severity of ferritin as a public health problem.