{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T18:37:49Z","timestamp":1787683069500,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,28]],"date-time":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679961600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Science Committee of RA","award":["20TTCG-4A001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20TTCG-4A001"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Adequate dietary iron (Fe) intake is crucial for preventing Fe-deficient anemia, a recognized global public health concern which is important in Armenia. This study aimed to analyze the intake of Fe, both heme (from animal tissues) and non-heme (more prevalent, but less efficiently absorbed), as well as the Fe dietary sources, among adults in a representative national sample in Armenia. The study was conducted on 1400 individuals aged 18\u201380 and above, who were enrolled from all regions of Armenia. The Fe intake was assessed through a 24 h dietary recall survey, while Fe occurrence was determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The results showed a high proportion of adults with a Fe intake lower than the average requirements set by EFSA (65%, 80% and 85% of males, total females and females at fertile age, respectively). Main Fe sources were bread, fruits and vegetables; heme Fe accounted only for &lt;5% of total Fe intake. Compared to males, females had a lower intake of all forms of Fe (p &lt; 0.05). Significant differences were observed in the intake of different forms of Fe between regions (p &lt; 0.05), while the age-group 36\u201355 years had higher intakes of total Fe. Our data call for comprehensive nutritional security strategies in order to reduce iron deficiency in Armenia, that represents a public health concern.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15071643","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,28]],"date-time":"2023-03-28T06:15:15Z","timestamp":1679984115000},"page":"1643","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Assessment of Heme and Non-Heme Iron Intake and Its Dietary Sources among Adults in Armenia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Davit","family":"Pipoyan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies, NAS RA, Yerevan 0025, Armenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7263-4131","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seda","family":"Stepanyan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies, NAS RA, Yerevan 0025, Armenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8083-1706","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meline","family":"Beglaryan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies, NAS RA, Yerevan 0025, Armenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Mantovani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) (2015). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for iron 1. EFSA J., 13, 4254.","DOI":"10.2903\/j.efsa.2015.4254"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WHO (2017). Nutritional Anaemias: Tools for Effective Prevention, WHO."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.1080\/21665095.2018.1505531","article-title":"Can locally available foods provide a healthy diet at affordable costs? Case of Armenia","volume":"5","author":"Ghazaryan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Dev. Stud. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1260","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980015002451","article-title":"Prevalence and determinants of anaemia among children aged 0\u201359 months in a rural region of Armenia: A case-control study","volume":"19","author":"Demirchyan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"National Statistical Service [Armenia], and Ministry of Health [Armenia] (2016). Armenia Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 (2015-16 ADHS)\u2014Key Indicators Report, The DHS Program ICF."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"WHO (2019). Global Health Observatory Data Repository. World Health Statistics, WHO."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia, World Food Programme, and UNICEF (2017). Armenia Comprehensive Food Security, Vulnerability and Nutrition Analysis (CFSVNA), World Food Programme."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"WFP (2021). Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment in Armenia Round 3, December 2021, World Food Programme."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"61","article-title":"Neural Tube Defects and Micronutrients Deficiency prevalence in Georgia","volume":"98","author":"Tsiklauri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Georg. Med. News J."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"433","article-title":"Prevalence of anemia and related factors among women in Turkey","volume":"33","author":"Saydam","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pakistan J. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"WHO (2021). Global Database on Action the Implementation of Nutrition Action (GINA) the Program of Flour Fortification in Armenia\u2014Wheat Flour Fortification\u2014All Population Groups, WHO."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3S","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/nxaa175","article-title":"Iron Fortification Practices and Implications for Iron Addition to Salt","volume":"151","author":"Hurrell","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1696","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/nqz023","article-title":"Improved micronutrient status and health outcomes in low-and middle-income countries following large-scale fortification: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-Analysis","volume":"109","author":"Keats","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2295","DOI":"10.1007\/s00277-020-04146-8","article-title":"Evaluation of a screening program for iron overload and HFE mutations in 50,493 blood donors","volume":"99","author":"Lyxe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. Hematol."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Sargsyants, N.C., Magdesieva, H.B., Sargsyan, V.A., Stepanyan, N.S., and Ghazanchyan, Y.G. (2017, January 17\u201319). First results of newly set up Hereditary Hemochromatosis HFE gene analysis in Armenia. Proceedings of the EASL-EVENT-XXII Annual International Congress \u201cHepatology Today\u201d, Moscow, Russia."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pipoyan, D., Stepanyan, S., Beglaryan, M., and Mantovani, A. (2022). Risk Characterization of the Armenian Population to Nickel: Application of Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches to a Total Diet Study in Yerevan City. Biol. Trace Elem. Res., ahead of print.","DOI":"10.1007\/s12011-022-03371-8"},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"FAO (2018). Dietary Assessment. A Resource Guide to Method Selection and Application in Low Resource Settings, FAO."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Skolmowska, D., and G\u0142\u0105bska, D. (2019). Analysis of heme and non-heme iron intake and iron dietary sources in adolescent menstruating females in a national Polish sample. Nutrients, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu11051049"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"FAO (2011). Guidelines for Measuring Household and Individual Dietary Diversity, FAO."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"WHO (2006). Reproductive Health Indicators: Guidelines for Their Generation, Interpretation and Analysis for Global Monitoring, WHO."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Oxfam (2016). Nutritional Diversification in Armenia, Armenia Oxfam."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Oxfam (2019). Improving Regional Food Security in the South Caucasus through National Strategies and Smallholder Production. Food Security Policy Brief, Oxfam."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"486","DOI":"10.1177\/1559827616682933","article-title":"Iron Status of Vegetarian Adults: A Review of Literature","volume":"12","author":"Pawlak","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am. J. Lifestyle Med."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bhatnagar, R.S., and Padilla-Zakour, O.I. (2021). Plant-based dietary practices and socioeconomic factors that influence anemia in india. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13103538"},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"223","article-title":"Iron requirments and bioavailability of dietary iron","volume":"Volume 5","author":"Hallberg","year":"1983","journal-title":"Suparyanto dan Rosad (2015)"},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"FAO (2005). Nutrition Country Profile Republic of Armenia, FAO."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1186\/s12936-019-2814-y","article-title":"Role of malaria partners in malaria elimination in Armenia","volume":"18","author":"Davidyants","year":"2019","journal-title":"Malar. J."},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"73","article-title":"Soil-transmitted helminthiases and rationalization of measures for control and prevention","volume":"8","author":"Davidyants","year":"2014","journal-title":"New Armen. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"113","article-title":"Species diversity of nematodes in domestic and wild ruminants of Armenia","volume":"65","author":"Movsesyan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Torchyan, A. (2007). Knowledge of the Armenian Population about Healthynutrition. [Ph.D. Thesis, American University of Armenia]."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2015.00277","article-title":"Food-Based Interventions to Modify Diet Quality and Diversity to Address Multiple Micronutrient Deficiency","volume":"3","author":"Nair","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"WHO\/FAO (2006). Guidelines on Food Fortification with Micronutrients, WHO."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007114515001646","article-title":"Anaemia prevalence may be reduced among countries that fortify flour","volume":"114","author":"Barkley","year":"2015","journal-title":"Br. J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"780","DOI":"10.1093\/nutrit\/nuv037","article-title":"Evidence of the effectiveness of flour fortification programs on iron status and anemia: A systematic review","volume":"73","author":"Spohrer","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nutr. Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sales, C.H., Rogero, M.M., Sarti, F.M., and Fisberg, R.M. (2021). Prevalence and factors associated with iron deficiency and anemia among residents of urban areas of s\u00e3o paulo, brazil. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13061888"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100865","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mam.2020.100865","article-title":"Oral iron supplementation in iron-deficient women: How much and how often?","volume":"75","author":"Stoffel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mol. Aspects Med."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110073","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2020.110073","article-title":"Risk-benefit in food safety and nutrition\u2013Outcome of the 2019 Parma Summer School","volume":"141","author":"Verhagen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Delimont, N., and Nickel, S. (2020). Food pattern modeling as an alternative assessment method to multiday dietary recalls for iron-related nutrients: A proof-of-concept study. Nutrients, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12071911"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1043","DOI":"10.3945\/jn.115.219683","article-title":"Three 24-h recalls in comparison with one improve the estimates of energy and nutrient intakes in an urban Mexican population","volume":"146","author":"Carriquiry","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Nutr."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/7\/1643\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T19:04:57Z","timestamp":1760123097000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/7\/1643"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,28]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4]]}},"alternative-id":["nu15071643"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu15071643","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,28]]}}}