Defining iron-deficiency anemia in public health terms: a time for reflection
Open accessAbstract
This paper provides a historical context for this meeting, which aimed to examine critically the way we have defined iron-deficiency anemia as a public health problem. The terms and concepts used to define the problem are reviewed first, followed by estimates of the global prevalence of the problem from 1985 to 2000. It is argued that recent estimates are not credible and that we must redefine the problem in terms that are important, measurable and addressable. This meeting was designed to take first steps toward that goal, namely, to identify the causal factors (e.g., iron deficiency vs. iron-deficiency anemia vs. severe anemia from any cause) that link iron-deficiency anemia to important health outcomes and to estimate the magnitude of their effects in public health terms.
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Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy, affecting 40%-50% of women and their infants.
“Iron de fi ciency, with its resultant anemia, is the most commonly measured nutrient de fi ciency, and it is especially common during pregnancy, affecting 40% -50% of women and their infants (8 -10).”
From Maternal Intake of Supplemental Iron and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [8]
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Baker, S. J., & Demaeyer, E. M. (1979) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1093/ajcn/32.2.368 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
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Black, M. M., Baqui, A. H., Zaman, K., Ake Persson, L., El Arifeen, S., Le, K., McNary, S. W., Parveen, M., Hamadani, J. D., & Black, R. E. (2004) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.4.903 · Cited by 256 · see citing works
Maternal Intake of Supplemental Iron and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Schmidt, R. J., Tancredi, D. J., Krakowiak, P., Hansen, R. L., & Ozonoff, S. (2014) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwu208 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Iron deficiency and obesity: the contribution of inflammation and diminished iron absorption
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Valorisation of post-sorption materials: Opportunities, strategies, and challenges
Harikishore Kumar Reddy, D., Vijayaraghavan, K., Kim, J. A., & Yun, Y.-S. (2017) · Advances in Colloid and Interface Science · doi:10.1016/j.cis.2016.12.002 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Muchie, K. F. (2016) · BMC Nutrition · doi:10.1186/s40795-016-0093-3 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
- Authors
- Stoltzfus, R. J.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Stoltzfus, Rebecca J.
- Venue
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2001-02
- Volume
- 131
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 565S-567S
- ISSN
- 0022-3166 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2160621674
- Cited by
- 356
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 4.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Nutrition, Health, and Society Studies
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Keywords
- iron deficiency anemia, global prevalence estimates, iron deficiency, severe anemia, causal factors, health outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Iron Deficiencies, Humans, Terminology as Topic, Nutrition Disorders, Public Health, Global Health, World Health Organization, Prevalence, Anemia, Iron-Deficiency, History, 20th Century
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