Iron deficiency risk factors in infants at one year: A cross-sectional study

1985

A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the relative importance of well-known risk factors for iron deficiency in one-year-old children and to detect new ones. Serum ferritin, erythrocyte protoporphyrin and haemoglobin were used as diagnostic tools to screen for iron deficiency. Epidemiologic analysis of data included measures of association, potential impact and a log-linear model to obtain adjusted measures. Socioeconomic variables show a strong association with iron deficiency (low income, odds ratio = 5.07, UCL = 16.08, LCL = 1.60; unemployed father, odds ratio = 4.16, UCL = 14.94, LCL = 1.16; emigration, odds ratio = 9.14, UCL = 54.56, LCL = 1.53). Some errors in feeding practi…