Fast Food Consumption and Snacking in Female Adolescents and Their Correlation With Hemoglobin Levels

Abstract

— Female adolescents are at high risk of anemia due to nutrient deficiencies and unhealthy lifestyle. Fast food consumption and snacking with high calories, carbohydrates and fat are very common in adolescent daily life that can cause inflammation by which macrophage infiltration into adipose tissues leading to hypertrophy and hyperplasia. This situation triggers the release of pro- inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) which inhibits iron metabolism. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlation of fast food consumption and snacking with hemoglobin (Hb) levels in female adolescents. This cross sectional research study was performed among 117 female adolescents of high and vocational schools in Karanganyar Regency, which were selected using the stratified random sampling. Data of fast food consumption and snacking were collected using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and hemoglobin levels were determined using a hematology analyzer. To test data normality, we used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The Spearman rank was used to analyze individual correlation of variables with Hb levels, and all together variables were analyzed using a multiple linear regression test. A total of 17.1 % female adolescents suffered from anemia. Fast food consumption (r = -3.47; p = 0.001) significantly correlated with Hb levels but not for snacking (r = -1.44; p = 0.152). In conclusion, fast food consumption negatively correlates with Hb levels in female adolescents while snacking does not. Education of healthy nutrition is required for prevention of anemia in female adolescents.