Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associate with iron status in children and adolescents living in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Prevention of iron deficiency (ID) in childhood and adolescence is an important public health issue because of the potential for severe and long-lasting consequences. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore demographic and lifestyle factors associated with iron status among children and adolescents living in Canada. DESIGN: Data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 3-6 (2012 to 2019) and serum ferritin (SF) were used to determine the prevalence of ID using age specific cut-points (<5 y: SF <12 μg/L; ≥5 y: SF <15 μg/L), and ID-regression corrected for inflammation using C-reactive protein. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with SF and ID were tested within age-sex group (3-4 y, 5-13 y, 14-18 y) and overall (3-18 y) using multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of ID was 9.4% (ID-regression corrected: 13.7%). Females, red meat non-consumers and those of Indigenous-identity had higher prevalence of ID after accounting for other factors using SF cut-points, and ID-regression. These factors also associated with lower SF as a continuous variable in multiple linear regression analyses. Overall, higher odds ratios (OR) for ID-regression corrected were observed among participants reporting lower household education (OR 2.15, 95%CI: 1.09, 4.24 vs. post-secondary), Indigenous-identity (OR 1.93, 95%CI: 1.14, 3.26 vs. white), red meat non-consumers (OR 1.84, 95%CI: 1.1, 3.06 vs. low frequency of consumption), high frequency of consumption of calcium-rich foods (1.24, 95%CI: 0.92, 1.68 vs. low frequency of consumption) and female-sex (OR 2.22, 95%CI: 1.72, 2.86 vs. male-sex). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate the need for continued surveillance of iron intakes and status among children and adolescents to help inform strategies that mitigate nutritional risks.