All issues > Volume 49(11); 2006

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2006;49(11):1174-1179. Published online November 15, 2006.

The iron status and the relationship between iron deficiency and body mass index in middle school girls

Hee Youn HY Han¹, Chang Joo CJ Hee¹, Hae Sun HS Shim¹, Young Jin YJ Hong¹, Byong Kwan BK Son¹, Hwan Cheol HC Kim², Soon Ki SK Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
²Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon,

Correspondence Soon Ki SK Kim ,Email: pedkim@inha.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Obesity and iron deficiency are common nutritional problems. Obese children are known to have iron deficiencies, but one presented opposite opinion in Korea. This study investigated the prevalence of obesity and iron deficiency in Incheon and the relationship between iron deficiency and obesity.
Methods
: Physical measurement and hematologic examinations were done a 764 healthy female students aged 14 to 15 years in May, 2005. Overweight was defined as a body mass index≥85th percentile. Iron deficiency was defined as serum ferritin <10 ng/mL. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was defined as serum Hb <12 g/dL and serum ferritin <10 ng/mL and/or transferrin saturation <16%.
Results
: 1) The prevalence of overweight was 24.4 percent (n=186), and that of obesity 16.5 percent (n=126). Ferritin and transferrin saturation was the lowest in the normal weight group. 2) The prevalence of iron deficiency and IDA was 18.7 percent (n=102) and 5.3 percent (n=41), respectively. 3) Iron deficiency was more common in the normal weight group compared with the overweight and underweight groups. Also, the non-obese had more iron deficiency and IDA than the obese.
Conclusion
: The prevalence of obesity in middle school girls could be higher in Incheon than in other regions, but there might be no difference in iron deficiency. However, iron deficiency was more prevalent in the normal weight group than in overweight group. The overweight group ate more food and gained more iron, so seemed to be less prevalent in iron deficiency than the normal weight group.

Keywords :Obesity , Body mass index , Iron deficiency anemia , Adolescent