School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 31;20(3):2578. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032578.
Iron deficiency (ID) is a prevalent nutritional deficiency affecting children/adolescents worldwide. We reported (1) the prevalence of ID and ID with anemia (IDA) among Chinese school-aged adolescents, (2) clinical and dietary predictors of iron status, and (3) its impact on health-related qualities of life (HRQoL). This cross-sectional study recruited 183 boys and 340 girls (mean age = 17.55) from 16 schools in Hong Kong. ID is defined as serum ferritin <15 μg/L. The participants reported their dietary habits, menstrual patterns (girls), and HRQoL using structured questionnaires. The overall prevalence of ID was 11.1%. None of the boys had ID or IDA. Among girls, the rate of ID was 17.1% and IDA was 10.9%. One-third (36.3%) reported a regular habit of skipping ≥1 meal/day. Lower ferritin was found in adolescents who skipped meals (Est = -35.1, = 0.017). Lower ferritin is correlated with poorer school functioning (Est = 0.81, = 0.045) and fatigue (Est = 0.92, = 0.016). Skipping meals is associated with poorer physical ( = 0.0017) and school functioning ( = 0.027). To conclude, 1 in 10 school-aged adolescents in Hong Kong are iron-deficient. The ID rate in girls (17.1%) is similar to that in other industrialized countries (5.2-16.6%). Future work should promote awareness on the potential health consequences of poor dietary habits on ID and the well-being of adolescents.
铁缺乏症（ID）是一种普遍存在的营养缺乏症，影响着全世界的儿童和青少年。我们报告了（1）中国学龄青少年铁缺乏症和缺铁性贫血（IDA）的流行率，（2）铁状态的临床和饮食预测因素，以及（3）其对健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）的影响。这项横断面研究在香港的 16 所学校招募了 183 名男孩和 340 名女孩（平均年龄=17.55 岁）。ID 定义为血清铁蛋白<15μg/L。参与者使用结构化问卷报告他们的饮食习惯、月经模式（女孩）和 HRQoL。ID 的总体患病率为 11.1%。没有男孩患有 ID 或 IDA。在女孩中，ID 的发生率为 17.1%，IDA 的发生率为 10.9%。三分之一（36.3%）的人报告经常有至少一顿饭不吃的习惯。不吃饭的青少年铁蛋白较低（Est=-35.1，=0.017）。较低的铁蛋白与较差的学业功能（Est=0.81，=0.045）和疲劳（Est=0.92，=0.016）相关。不吃饭与较差的身体（=0.0017）和学业功能（=0.027）相关。总之，香港每 10 名学龄青少年中就有 1 人缺铁。女孩的 ID 发生率（17.1%）与其他工业化国家（5.2-16.6%）相似。未来的工作应提高对不良饮食习惯对 ID 和青少年健康的潜在健康后果的认识。
