Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the iron nutritional status and dietary iron availability of postmenopausal women residing in Jeonju area. The anthropometric parameters, nutrient intake and biochemical status of iron were measured from 57 postmenopausal women aged 50∼74 years old. Mean values of hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrit(Hct), serum iron(Fe), total iron binding capacity(TIBC) and serum ferritin(Ferritin) concentration were 12.82${\pm}$1.03g/dl, 37.68${\pm}$2.99%, 92.60${\pm}$46.66ug/dl, 353.0${\pm}$54.48ug/dl, 86.86${\pm}$100.7ug/ιrespectively. Prevalence of iron deficiency greatly varied by indices from 14.04% when judged by Ferritin(<20ug/ι) to 40.4% by TIBC(>360${\mu}$g/dl. The anemic subjects assessed with Hct percent(36%) represented 22.8%, whereas 21.1% of the subjects possessed less than 12g/dl of Hb. Ferritin concentration showed a significantly negative correlation with TIBC(r=-0.343, p<0.01) and a positive correlation with MCHC(r=0.361, p<0.01). The mean daily intake of iron was 10.62mg and intake of heme iron was 5.3%(0.56mg) of total iron intake. Total absorbable iron caculated by the method of Monsen was 0.49mg anti bioavailability of dietary iron was 4.61%. Ferritin Concentration was positively associated with total iron intake(r=0.264, p<0.05), dietary nonheme iron(r=0.286, p<0.05) and iron of animal food (r=0.364, p<0.01). But Ferritin concentration was not correlated dietary heme iron(r=-0.137, p>0.05). Major food groups of iron intake were vegetables(20.15%), cereals(19.59%) and fishes(12.34%) in postmenopausal women. Intake of eggs was positively associated with Ferritin(r=0.473, p<0.01).
