Evaluation of Iron Deficiency and the Intake of Macro- and Micronutrients among Normal, Overweight, and Obese Children Under 5 Years in Amman

Background: This study primarily aimed to investigate the possible association between the risk of suffering from Iron Deficiency (ID) and body weight status among a group of obese, overweight, and normal body weight children. The second aim of this study was to assess Serum Iron (SI), Serum Ferritin (SF), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Hemoglobin (Hb), and Body Mass Index (BMI) among the recruited children. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, a total of 150 disease-free children aged between 6-59 months were recruited conveniently from Amman. Children were grouped as normal body weight, overweight, and obese. BMI and BMI Z-scores were determined and the intake of many macro- and micronutrients were estimated. Serum iron, SF, TIBC, and Hb were measured to detect the presence of ID. Results: The mean concentration of SI was significantly higher in normal body weight than in overweight and obese children. The mean concentration of TIBC was significantly lower in normal body weight children than that in overweight and obese children (P<0.05). Nutrients intake findings showed that daily intakes of saturated fat and sugar were significantly higher in overweight and obese children than those in normal children. Iron intake was significantly lower in normal body weight than in obese children. The daily intake of selenium was significantly higher among normal body weight and obese children than overweight children (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study supports the findings of the presence of an association between weight gain and ID despite that iron intake among obese children was higher than those with normal body weight.