Associations Between Serum Iron Indices and Self-Assessed Multiple Intelligence Scores Among Adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Overview

Journal Biomedicines

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2024 Jul 27

PMID 39062151

Authors

Hibah A Farhan

Fatimah A A Al-Ghannam

Kaiser Wani

Malak N K Khattak

Abdullah M Alnaami

Mona G Alharbi

Abir A Alamro

Shaun Sabico

Nasser M Al-Daghri

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies, including iron deficiency, are linked to different cognitive impairments and sensory functions. However, whether circulating iron levels affect self-assessed multiple intelligence (MI) scores in adolescents remains uninvestigated. This study aimed to investigate associations between serum iron levels and self-assessed MI scores in adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Recruiting 434 Saudi adolescents (174 boys and 260 girls, aged 12-17), we administered the McKenzie questionnaire to assess MI across nine categories. Anthropometrics and fasting blood samples were collected to measure circulating iron and transferrin levels. Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) levels were calculated. Notably, girls exhibited significantly higher MI scores in the interactive domain than boys (age and BMI-adjusted OR = 1.36, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.73, = 0.01). No significant correlations were observed between serum iron and MI. However, normal TSAT levels (TSAT > 20%) corresponded with higher age and BMI-adjusted odds of MI scores in the musical (OR = 1.59, 95%CI = 1.1-2.2, = 0.006), linguistic (1.57, 1.1-2.3, = 0.016), kinesthetic (1.48, 1.1-2.1, = 0.024), spatial (1.45, 1.1-2.1, = 0.03), and existential (1.56, 1.1-2.1, = 0.01) categories compared to ones with lower TSAT levels (TSAT ≤ 20%), only in boys. In conclusion, serum iron levels may not directly influence MI domains in adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; however, lower TSAT levels, indicative of iron-deficiency anemia, may influence MI, only in boys, indicating a possible relationship between iron metabolism and cognitive functions.

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