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Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 27, No. 2, 337-341 (2008)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Prevalence of Iron Deficiency and Health-related Quality of Life among Female Students

Marie-Ange Grondin, MD, Marc Ruivard, MD, Anne Perrève, MD, Hélène Derumeaux-Burel, MD, Isabelle Perthus, MD, Julie Roblin, BSc, Fabrice Thiollières, MD and Laurent Gerbaud, MD, PhD

Centre Hospitalo Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand (M.-A.G., M.R., H.D.-B., I.P., J.R., F.T., L.G.)
Service de Soins Inter Universitaire (A.P.), Clermont-Ferrand, FRANCE

Address correspondence to: Dr Marie-Ange Grondin, Département de Santé Publique, Hôtel-Dieu, Boulevard Léon-Malfreyt, 63058 Clermont-Ferrand, France. E-mail M-ange.GRONDIN{at}u-clermont1.fr

Objective: To investigate prevalence of iron deficiency and examine the relationship between iron status and Health-related Quality of Life among female students.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects and Setting: Data were collected from 543 female students, aged 17 to 38 years, attending University or secondary schools in Clermont-Ferrand (France) and its metropolitan area. Three groups were defined, according to the rate of serum ferritin: iron deficient (serum ferritin <15µg/L), iron depletion borderline (serum ferritin 15–20 µg/L), and iron replete (serum ferritin > 20 µg/L). Those 3 groups of menstruating female students were compared in terms of health-related quality of life using univariate analysis.

Measures of Outcome: Health-related Quality of Life based on SF-36 questionnaire, and iron status measured by serum ferritin.

Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency was 19.3 %, the prevalence of borderline iron status was 11.4 %. Regarding the SF-36 questionnaire, the only significant difference between iron deficient and iron replete female students concerned the dimension reflecting ‘general health', which was significantly lower in iron deficient group (p = 0.015).

Conclusion: Iron deficiency seems to impair the perceived general health in female students. Further research should be conducted on this little known subject.

Key words: iron deficiency, prevalence, quality of life, general health, SF-36 Questionnaire, female, students

Abbreviations: FERUNIV = iron at the university study • MCS = SF-36 mental component summary score • PCS = SF-36 physical component summary score • SF = Serum Ferritin • SF-36 = Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 item • SSIU = Inter University Health Care Service • SU.VI.MAX = SUpplementation en VItamines et MIneraux French cohort






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