Bridging Gaps: How Food Environment Perceptions and Mobility Shape Food Security for African Immigrants

estimated using independent samples t-tests.Trends across age groups were assessed using linear models.P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 15,882 females 1-18 y were included for analysis.Iron supplement use varied across age groups from 11.5% among 1-3y, 13.7% among 4-8y, 10.8% among 9-13y and 11.7% among 14-18y.Mean[SE] iron deficiency rates increased with age in those females using iron supplements (1-3y: 1.8 [0.9]%, 4-8y: 2.4[1.1]%,9-13y: 10.6[3.3]%, and 14-18y: 31.2 [3.8]%; p-trend < 0.001).Among those who did not use an iron supplement, deficiency rates also increased with age with the exception of 4-8y vs. 1-3y (1-3y: 14.2[1.4]%,4-8y: 5.8[1.0]%,9-13y: 16.0[1.5]%,and 14-18y: 29.7[1.4]%;p-trend < 0.001).Iron supplement users reported significantly lower rates of iron deficiency compared to non-iron supplement users among 1-3y (p< 0.001) and among 4-8y (p0.017).There were no significant differences in low hematocrit or hemoglobin between iron supplement users and non-users.Conclusions: Females 1-8y who did report supplement use were less likely to have iron deficiency compared to non-users, yet no differences were observed for 9-18y.More work is needed to understand the determinants of iron status in this population and strategies to improve status given the low supplementation rates.