Dietary and non-dietary factors associated with iron status in a cohort of Danish adults followed for six years.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between food intake and serum ferritin over time.


METHODS
Two hundred and thirty-eight individuals, at baseline aged 35, 45, 55 and 65 y, had their food intake assessed by a short food frequency questionnaire and a diet history interview, and serum ferritin measured, first in 1987/88, and again in 1993/94.


METHODS
The County of Copenhagen, Denmark.


RESULTS
Apart from intake frequencies of alcoholic beverages dietary items were poor predictors of serum ferritin. Besides food intake serum ferritin was associated with blood donation in men, and with menopausal status in women.


CONCLUSIONS
For this middle-aged population, information on alcohol intake and blood loss may be used to rank individuals in relation to iron status, whereas information on intake frequency of dietary items may not.
Osler
M
M
The Copenhagen County Centre of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine C, Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark.
Milman
N
N
Heitmann
B L
BL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001782:Blood Donors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014920:Wine
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron