Iron Status and Its Relations with Nutrient Intake, Coffee Drinking, and Smoking in Korean Urban Adults

The iron status and its relations with nutrient intake, coffee drinking, and cigarette smoking were evaluated through the blood analysis and 3-day dietary recalls in 102 apparently healthy Korean adults (48 males, 54 menstruating females) aged 20-49 years and living in Daejeon City. Mean values of hemoglobin (Hb) in males and females were 15.5g/dL and 13.2g/dL, mean corpscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 36.0% and 36.8 %, serum iron (SI) 135 $\mu\textrm{g}$/dL and 97 $\mu\textrm{g}$/dL, transferrin saturation (TS) 39.4% and 29.2%, and serum ferritin (Ft) 88.1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L and 23.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L, respectively. For males the prevalences of abnormal values of iron status indicators were 4.2% in Hb, 2.1% in TS, and 4.2% in Ft, and for females 16.7% in Hb, 25.9% in TS, and 35.2% in Ft. Among females 9.3% had abnormal Ft, TS, and Hb, which was considered as iron-defeciency anemia, and 14.8% had abnormal Ft and TS. As a whole, the impaired iron status prevalences were estimated to be 2.1 - 4.2% for males and 9.3 - 35.2% for females. Mean daily intakes of iron and heme-iron were 13.7mg and 1.51mg in males, and 12.3mg and 1.45mg in females. Ft was positively correlated with dietary energy, protein, iron, and vitamin A, Hb with energy and iron, and MCHC with iron and heme iron. Vitamin A also tended to show positive correlations with Hb, SI, and TS. Coffee drinkers taking 3 cups per day or more had higher levels of Hb, MCHC, and Ft in males and MCHC in females, compared to non-coffee drinkers. Higher levels of Hb and MCHC were found in male smokers than in non-smokers. Coffee drinkers took more energy and vitamin A in males and MPF protein in females than non-coffee drinkers. From the above results, it was suggested that the iron status of men was much better than that of women, and the intakes of energy, iron, heme iron, and especially vitamin A were positively associated with the iron status. Cigarette smoking elevated Hb and MCHC, but the effect of coffee drinking on iron staus was not clear. (J Community Nutrition 5(1) : 44∼50, 2003)