Obese women less likely to have low serum ferritin, Nicaragua

• Authors: Amanda S. Wendt, Emory University; Maria E. Jefferds, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Cria G. Perrine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Patricia Halleslevens, Ministry of Health Managua; Kevin Sullivan, Emory University
• Journal Title: Public Health Nutrition
• Volume: Volume 18, Number 04
• Publisher: Cambridge | 2015-03, Pages 736-741
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014000755
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nutrition
• Keywords: Obesity; Serum ferritin; Iron deficiency; Inflammation; α1-Acid glycoprotein

Abstract

Objective To examine the association between overweight and obesity and serum ferritin among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Nicaragua, considering the effect of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), a marker of inflammation. Design We analysed data from the 2004–05 Nicaraguan Integrated Surveillance System for Nutrition Interventions. Three logistic regression models were analysed with low serum ferritin (<15 μg/l) as the dependent variable: (i) overweight or obese status and covariates; (ii) model 1 plus AGP; and (iii) model 1 restricted to only women with normal AGP levels (≤1·0 g/l). Setting Nicaragua. Subjects Included in this analysis were 832 non-pregnant mother/caregivers (15–49 years) surveyed in 2004–2005. Results In the sample, prevalence of overweight and obesity was 31·8 % and 19·2 %, respectively, and 27·6 % had low serum ferritin. In model 1, the adjusted OR of low serum ferritin was 0·74 (95 % CI 0·52, 1·05) for overweight women and 0·42 (95 % CI 0·26, 0·65) for obese women. In model 2, AGP was significantly independently associated with low serum ferritin (adjusted OR=0·56, 95 % CI 0·34, 0·92) while the adjusted OR for overweight and obesity were largely unchanged. Excluding women with elevated AGP did not appreciably affect the relationship between overweight or obesity and low serum ferritin (model 3). Conclusions Overall, in this population of reproductive-age women, obese women were less likely to have low serum ferritin levels, and this was independent of inflammation as measured by AGP.