Association of low serum selenium with anemia among adolescent girls living in rural Vietnam.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the prevalence of anemia and deficiency in trace elements in adolescent girls living in rural Vietnam.


METHODS
Two hundred forty-five adolescent girls 11-17 y of age from three schools in rural province of Ha Nam, Vietnam, were assessed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anemia was 20.4%. The incidences of low serum selenium (Se), zinc, and copper in subjects were 15.9%, 26.5%, and 4.1%, respectively. The parameter significantly associated with anemia was the low serum levels of Se and vice versa (odds ratio [OR] 5.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.57-11.18, P < 0.0001). Other risk factors for anemia were a body mass index <17.00 kg/m(2) (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.37-5.37, P = 0.004) and years of age (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14-1.59, P < 0.001). A body mass index <17.00 kg/m(2) (OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.25-5.61, P = 0.011) was also found to be a risk factor for low serum Se.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the present study demonstrate that low serum Se is independently associated with anemia in adolescent girls living in rural Vietnam. Interventions are required to gain insight into the potential role of Se on prevention and control of anemia.
Van Nhien
Nguyen
N
Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Graduate School of Nutrition and Bioscience, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
Yabutani
Tomoki
T
Khan
Nguyen Cong
NC
Khanh
Le Nguyen Bao
le NB
Ninh
Nguyen Xuan
NX
Chung
Le Thi Kim
le TK
Motonaka
Junko
J
Nakaya
Yutaka
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency
D003300:Copper; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc