Grant: Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

"Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency in early childhood. Children may be iron sufficient (IS), have non-anemic iron deficiency (NAID; low serum ferritin without anemia), or iron deficiency anemia (IDA; low serum ferritin with low hemoglobin). While IDA is well recognized to be associated with adverse developmental and cognitive outcomes, less is known about NAID despite it being more common. Some studies have explored links between iron deficiency and school outcomes, but Canadian evidence remains limited. This project will examine associations between (1) serum ferritin and (2) iron status with Grade 3 and 6 reading, writing, and math achievement. We hypothesize that children with lower serum ferritin and those with NAID or IDA will have poorer academic outcomes than children who are iron sufficient. In this prospective cohort study, children enrolled in TARGet Kids! with early childhood bloodwork and linked EQAO data will be included. Iron status will be classified using serum ferritin and hemoglobin, and children with CRP >10 mg/L will be excluded. Logistic and ordinal mixed-effects models will be used to assess associations, adjusting for key sociodemographic covariates. Findings may help inform iron screening and prevention strategies in primary care. "