Family History as a Risk Factor for Iron Deficiency Anemia among Korean Adolescents: Data from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) / 임상소아혈액종양

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a disease prevalent throughout the world. However, there is limited information regarding whether familial factors are associated with the risk of adolescent IDA. METHODS: This study evaluated the association between adolescent IDA and family history of IDA using data from the fifth Korea National Health Nutrition Survey (2010–2012). Data from 10-18-year-old children who underwent laboratory testing were analyzed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of IDA was 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4−4.1%), with prevalence of 0.5% among boys (95% CI: 0.2−1.3%) and 6.2% among girls (95% CI: 4.6−8.3%). The prevalence of IDA was associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 13.43, 95% CI: 4.92−36.65; P < 0.001) and a family history of IDA (OR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.11−8.76; P=0.03). Other risk factors for IDA were receiving social welfare support (OR: 3.31, 95% CI: 1.45−7.56; P=0.031), low maternal education (OR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.39−6.99; P=0.006), receiving charitable food support (OR: 2.27: 95% CI: 0.9−5.44; P=0.04), poor body-image (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.16−3.93; P=0.026), and weight-loss efforts (OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.27−4.61; P=0.01). Nutritional supplementation protected against IDA (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.19−0.82; P=0.007), although adolescents with awareness of nutritional labels had a high IDA prevalence (OR: 8.06, 95% CI: 1.71−38.05; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A family history of IDA was an independent risk factor for IDA. Further studies are needed to determine whether family-level educational interventions can reduce the risk of adolescent IDA.