{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T09:57:21Z","timestamp":1785923841416,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,31]],"date-time":"2023-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675123200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Health and Medical Research Fund","award":["17180441"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["17180441"]}]},{"name":"Food and Health Bureau","award":["17180441"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["17180441"]}]},{"name":"Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region","award":["17180441"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["17180441"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Iron deficiency (ID) is a prevalent nutritional deficiency affecting children\/adolescents worldwide. We reported (1) the prevalence of ID and ID with anemia (IDA) among Chinese school-aged adolescents, (2) clinical and dietary predictors of iron status, and (3) its impact on health-related qualities of life (HRQoL). This cross-sectional study recruited 183 boys and 340 girls (mean age = 17.55) from 16 schools in Hong Kong. ID is defined as serum ferritin &lt;15 \u03bcg\/L. The participants reported their dietary habits, menstrual patterns (girls), and HRQoL using structured questionnaires. The overall prevalence of ID was 11.1%. None of the boys had ID or IDA. Among girls, the rate of ID was 17.1% and IDA was 10.9%. One-third (36.3%) reported a regular habit of skipping \u22651 meal\/day. Lower ferritin was found in adolescents who skipped meals (Est = \u221235.1, p = 0.017). Lower ferritin is correlated with poorer school functioning (Est = 0.81, p = 0.045) and fatigue (Est = 0.92, p = 0.016). Skipping meals is associated with poorer physical (p = 0.0017) and school functioning (p = 0.027). To conclude, 1 in 10 school-aged adolescents in Hong Kong are iron-deficient. The ID rate in girls (17.1%) is similar to that in other industrialized countries (5.2\u201316.6%). Future work should promote awareness on the potential health consequences of poor dietary habits on ID and the well-being of adolescents.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20032578","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,1]],"date-time":"2023-02-01T02:29:03Z","timestamp":1675218543000},"page":"2578","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Iron Deficiency among School-Aged Adolescents in Hong Kong: Prevalence, Predictors, and Effects on Health-Related Quality of Life"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9874-8938","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yin Ting","family":"Cheung","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorothy Fung Ying","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3939-564X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cheuk Kwong","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2221-6833","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wai Chiu","family":"Tsoi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ching Wa","family":"Lau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jennifer Ngar Sze","family":"Leung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jason Chi Chiu","family":"So","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Hong Kong Children\u2019s Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chris Lei Po","family":"Wong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stella Tsui Ying","family":"Tsang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yvonne Yuen Ling","family":"Chu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2810-5758","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chi Kong","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"},{"name":"Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hong Kong Children\u2019s Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China"},{"name":"Hong Kong Hub of Paediatric Excellence, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e190337","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2019.0337","article-title":"Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in Child and Adolescent Health, 1990 to 2017: Findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2017 Study","volume":"173","author":"Reiner","year":"2019","journal-title":"JAMA Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2015.4276","article-title":"Global and National Burden of Diseases and Injuries Among Children and Adolescents Between 1990 and 2013: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study","volume":"170","author":"Kyu","year":"2016","journal-title":"JAMA Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2020.00193","article-title":"Reducing Anemia Among School-Aged Children in China by Eliminating the Geographic Disparity and Ameliorating Stunting: Evidence from a National Survey","volume":"8","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. 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