Abstract

Pregnant women in South Korea are a highly risk group for iron deficiency anemia. Previous studies indicated that the 24-hour recall method was insensitive in distinguishing iron deficiency anemic women from normal women. This method is also impractical to when used at community health centers where no public health dietitians are employed. The objective of this study was to develop a convenient tool to evaluate the usual iron (Fe) intake of pregnant women. The study participants were 115 pregnant women (age 23 to 37 years) at gestational stage of 13 to 24 weeks. Anemic subjects were classified on the basis of their serum ferritin < 12.0 microgram/L and hemoglobin < 12.0microgram/dL levels. Food frequency questionnaires with 46, 29, and 15 commonly consumed food items were used to measure the usual intake of iron of the subjects. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin were measured from fasting blood samples. Nutrients intake was assessed on three consecutive days using the 24-hour recall method and the food record method. The iron index score calculated using the food frequency method showed a significantly positive correlation with iron intake for the three days dietary intake. The iron index showed a significantly difference (p < 0.05) between the normal and anemic groups. However, there was no significant difference in the iron intake between the anemic and the normal women as measured by the 24-hour recall and food record method. Our study indicated that the 29-food items questionnaire could be used as a screening tool to identify poor dietary intake of iron.

• Keywords: Fe deficiency; anemia; pregnant; ferritin; hemoglobin; dietary habit