Table 4 Micronutrient intake (expressed as means ± SE and percentage consuming <2/3rd RDA) by gender (n = 3394)
From: Sex disparities in dietary intake across the lifespan: the case of Lebanon
| Total (n = 3394) | Males (n = 1578) | Females (n = 1816) | p-value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children and adolescents (6–19.9 years) | ||||
| Calcium (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 593.67 ± 12.4 | 657.35 ± 17.65 | 529.98 ± 17.57 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 669 (77.3) | 311 (71.2) | 358 (83.6) | < 0.001 |
| Iron (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 9.93 ± 0.21 | 11.05 ± 0.3 | 8.81 ± 0.3 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 315 (36.4) | 108 (24.7) | 207 (48.4) | < 0.001 |
| Zinc (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 7.84 ± 0.15 | 8.88 ± 0.22 | 6.8 ± 0.21 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 230 (26.6) | 87 (20) | 143 (33.4) | < 0.001 |
| Vitamin A (RAE, μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 788.4 ± 68.91 | 931.87 ± 98.1 | 644.93 ± 97.63 | 0.039 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 478 (55.3) | 238 (54.6) | 240 (56.1) | 0.660 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 82.86 ± 2.43 | 87.14 ± 3.46 | 78.59 ± 3.45 | 0.082 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 226 (26.2) | 108 (24.8) | 118 (27.7) | 0.329 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 3.63 ± 0.35 | 4.58 ± 0.5 | 2.68 ± 0.5 | 0.008 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 309 (35.7) | 130 (29.7) | 179 (41.8) | < 0.001 |
| Adults (20–59.9 years) | ||||
| Calcium (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 603.48 ± 7.93 | 669.8 ± 13.02 | 537.16 ± 11.32 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 1392 (66.1) | 525 (56.7) | 867 (73.5) | < 0.001 |
| Iron (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 10.68 ± 0.14 | 12.13 ± 0.23 | 9.23 ± 0.2 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 948 (45.0) | 125 (13.5) | 823 (69.8) | < 0.001 |
| Zinc (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 8.8 ± 0.12 | 10.18 ± 0.2 | 7.41 ± 0.18 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 698 (33.2) | 245 (26.5) | 453 (38.4) | < 0.001 |
| Vitamin A (RAE, μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 842.36 ± 47.0 | 876.34 ± 77.18 | 808.37 ± 67.1 | 0.536 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 1339 (63.6) | 608 (65.7) | 731 (62.0) | 0.084 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 83.44 ± 1.56 | 91.84 ± 2.56 | 75.04 ± 2.22 | < 0.001 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 850 (41.4) | 383 (41.4) | 467 (41.4) | 0.972 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 5.0 ± 0.37 | 5.85 ± 0.6 | 4.06 ± 0.53 | 0.038 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 908 (43.1) | 327 (35.3) | 581 (49.3) | < 0.001 |
| Older adults (≥60 years) | ||||
| Calcium (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 541.31 ± 14.52 | 567.81 ± 26.69 | 514.82 ± 27.15 | 0.243 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 336 (79.2) | 162 (75.3) | 174 (83.3) | 0.045 |
| Iron (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 9.22 ± 0.33 | 10.08 ± 0.6 | 8.36 ± 0.61 | 0.090 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 123 (29.0) | 46 (21.4) | 77 (36.8) | < 0.001 |
| Zinc (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 7.41 ± 0.2 | 8.39 ± 0.37 | 6.42 ± 0.38 | 0.002 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 178 (42.0) | 85 (39.5) | 93 (44.5) | 0.301 |
| Vitamin A (RAE, μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 641.17 ± 63.27 | 678.58 ± 116.36 | 603.77 ± 116.36 | 0.705 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 286 (67.5) | 156 (72.6) | 130 (62.2) | 0.023 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 77.75 ± 4.14 | 75.85 ± 7.61 | 79.65 ± 7.73 | 0.769 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 186 (45.1) | 112 (52.1) | 74 (37.6) | 0.003 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) | ||||
| Mean ± SE | 3.57 ± 0.54 | 4.35 ± 1.0 | 2.79 ± 1.01 | 0.356 |
| Below 2/3rd RDA, n (%) | 212 (50.0) | 102 (47.4) | 110 (52.6) | 0.286 |