Iron Intake and Its Correlation to Ferritin and Hemoglobin Level among Children Aged 24–36 Months in Jakarta in 2020

Introduction: Iron is essential for child’s development and growth. Children’s iron requirements are secured from daily food intake that might be affected by Covid-19 pandemic. This study aims to determine iron intake and its relationship with ferritin and hemoglobin levels as indicators of iron status among children in Jakarta.Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Kampung Melayu, Jakarta from September to October 2020. Seventy seven healthy children aged 24–36 months were taken using total population sampling method. Interviews were conducted to obtain characteristics data and iron intake using a semi-quantitative-food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Blood tests are performed to check the levels of ferritin (controlled by hs-CRP value), and hemoglobin.Pearson’s/Spearman’s correlation test was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Result: Median of iron intake was 9.6 (1.5–40,7) mg/day, in which 33.8% of subjects was below the Indonesian Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) recommendation. The median ferritin value was 18.1 (1.4–91.1) 𝜇g/L and the hemoglobin was 11.8 (6.6–15.2) g/dL, in which 40.3% and 27.3% subjects with iron insufficient-deficient and anemia, respectively. There were positive correlations between iron intake and ferritin (r = 0.328, p = 0.002) and iron intake and hemoglobin (r = 0.308, p = 0.003). A strong positive correlation was found between ferritin and hemoglobin (r = 0.769, p < 0.001).Conclusion: Iron intake of children aged 24–36 months had a weak positive correlation with ferritin and hemoglobin level. Keywords: children 24–36 months, ferritin, hemoglobin, iron intake, Jakarta