Assessment of sociodemographic predictors of iron deficiency among secondary school students in Misau LGA, Bauchi State, Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Iron is an essential micronutrient found in red meat, vegetables, and dairy products. Iron deficiency (ID) is associated with poor growth and impaired cognitive development, lowered immunity with increased risk to infectious diseases, and reduced productivity. Objective: We determined some sociodemographic predictors of ID among secondary school students in Bauchi State, Northeastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of secondary school students in Bauchi State, Northeastern Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty (420) secondary school students were enrolled using stratified sampling with proportional allocation. Data on age, gender, and sociodemographic parameters were collated. Body mass indices (BMIs) were computed while blood was taken for hemoglobin concentration and iron status determination. Collated data were analyzed using JASP 0.11.1.0. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to adjust for possible confounders in the observed significant relationships. Level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The mean age of the students was 16.5 ± 1.9 years with females constituting 210 (50.0%). Median (interquartile range) monthly incomes for fathers and mothers were 150 (100, 200) USD and 50 (30, 70) USD, respectively. Median BMI and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) were 17.9 (16.4, 19.6) kg/m2 and 13.7 (12.7, 14.7) g/dL, respectively. Anemia was present in 62 (14.8%) participants, whereas ID was present in 213 (50.71%) participants. There was a statistically significant relationship between reduced intake of meat together with gender and iron status with females having a higher risk of having ID compared with males (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Female gender and decreased daily intake of meat are important predictors of ID among secondary school students in Bauchi State, Nigeria.