title: Iron-fortified wheat flour and iron deficiency among women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron deficiency is estimated to impact more than 1.6 billion individuals worldwide, affecting child, maternal, and perinatal mortality. Iron supplementation, fortification, and dietary diversification are strategies to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency. However, there are relatively few studies demonstrating the effectiveness of iron-fortified wheat flour as an intervention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship between average monthly per capita household consumption of iron-fortified wheat flour and iron deficiency among women of childbearing age in Oman.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the National Micronutrient Status and Fortified Food Coverage Survey, 2004. Iron deficiency status was compared between women living in households with a monthly per capita consumption of iron-fortified wheat flour of 1 kg or more and women living in households with a monthly per capita consumption of iron-fortified wheat flour of less than 1 kg. The analyses excluded women with elevated or unknown levels of C-reactive protein and controlled for characteristics of the women and household demographics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumption of iron-fortified wheat flour was associated with a lower prevalence of iron deficiency among women in our sample (adjusted odds ratio, 0.60), after controlling for age, employment status, marital status, intake of iron or multivitamin supplements, self-reported presence of a blood disorder, household income, educational level of head of household, and family size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that women in our study living in households with a greater consumption of iron-fortified wheat flour have a lower prevalence of iron deficiency; however, additional study is needed.
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. KGrimm@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Kirsten A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Deena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alasfoor
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Parvanta
authors.forename: Ali Jaffer Mohammed
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Suleiman
authors.forename: Meenu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Fatima Obaid
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Al-Hatmi
authors.forename: Laird J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ruth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001939:Bread; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology; D014908:Triticum
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary