Estimate of iron and vitamin C intake in adolescents during the menstrual cycle phases

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2010-06, Vol.15, p.1359-1367
• Main Authors: Azevedo, Luciana, Hércia Stampini Duarte Martino, Flávia Giolo Carvalho, Marcelo Lacerda Rezende
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Subjects: Anemia; Councils; Iron; Menstruation; Teenagers; Vitamin C
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/S1413-81232010000700045

The vitamin C and iron ingestion level was evaluated in adolescents during the three phases of the menstrual cycle. The food intake of 30 adolescents was analyzed during the premenstrual, menstrual, and postmenstrual phases, by the registration technique, with the analysis of two registrations per individual, in each phase. The prevalence estimate was done considering six dietary registrations for each adolescent. The patterns used as reference were the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) - Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) from Institute of Medicine - IOM (2001), using the probability approaches and the cut - point method for the iron and vitamin C respectively, in addition to the values from the Recommended Dietary Allowances (National Research Council). The adolescents were aged 15.5 ± 1.7; the age of the menarche was 11.8 ± 1,1; and gynecological age 3.6 ± 1.9. The medial consumption of iron was 10.6 mg/day and of vitamin C 77.6 mg/day. It was observed by DRIs-EAR an estimate of inadequacy for iron of 22.6% and for vitamin C of 34% and by National Research Council, 63.3% and 20%, respectively. Despite the divergence among the patterns, both results shows a nutritional risk for the studied population. The accomplishment of wider dietary studies, using DRI-EAR is suggested, favoring nutritional diagnoses with subsequent evaluation of intervention measures.