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. 2025 Jun 3;18:23. doi: 10.1186/s13044-025-00239-6

Table 3.

Comparison of micronutrient status and serum T4 levels in adolescent Afghan refugees. Comparison was achieved by dividing participants into three equally-sized tertiles according to T4 levels

Characteristics T4
Overall T1 T2 T3 P-value
Median (Q1, Q3) 4.7(3.74,5.7) 6.89(6.55,7.4) 9.05(8.52,10.45)
All age groups
Ferritin (ng/mL) 39 (27, 61.4) 39.1 (25.6, 62.6) 37.7 (27.0, 59.5) 39.4 (27.8, 57.3) 0.92
Folate (ng/mL) 4.4 (3.4, 6.1) 4.6 (3.6, 6.1) 4.6 (3.4, 6.3) 4.3 (3.3, 5.7) 0.41
Vitamin B12 (pg/mL) 219 (157, 348) 208.5 (159, 313) 244.0 (150.0, 350.0) 224.0 (158.0, 342.0) 0.65
Vitamin D (ng/mL) 22.3 (16.2, 27.5) 20.5 (15.0, 25.2) 21.1 (13.9, 27.7) 25.4 (20.0, 30.0) 0.003
Zinc (µg/L) 787.1 (618.6, 932.1) 805.5 (602.6, 1077.3) 806.1 (639.5, 933.1) 758.6 (593.7, 877.8) 0.16
Copper (µg/L) 951.5 (790.8, 1146.7) 928.5 (719.6, 1158.4) 970.2 (828.1, 1153.3) 956.3 (837.9, 1107.1) 0.65
Selenium (µg/L) 71.1 (50.5, 91.3) 69.4 (48.3, 95.7) 69.9 (51.5, 84.4) 73.7 (52.3, 95.0) 0.53
Age (10–14) 13.1 (12.4, 13.8) 13.1 (12.25, 13.85) 13.1 (12.3, 13.7) 13.1 (12.5, 13.7)
Ferritin (ng/mL) 37.7 (27.8, 51.6) 35.8 (24.1, 51.4) 37.4 (29.4, 52.1) 39.4 (27.8, 54.7) 0.64
Folate (ng/mL) 4.7 (3.6, 6.1) 4.8 (3.6, 6.35) 4.8 (3.6, 5.95) 4.3 (3.6, 5.7) 0.66
Vitamin B12 (pg/mL) 209 (155, 310) 207.0 (155.5, 260.0) 259.0 (148.0, 316.0) 205.0 (156.0, 310.0) 0.68
Vitamin D (ng/mL) 24.1 (7.3) 22.0 (6.2) 24.5 (7.8) 25.8 (7.6) 0.02
Zinc (µg/L) 789.6 (605.6, 934.4) 884.0 (661.8, 1274.9) 798.4 (630.1, 941.3) 748.1 (593.7, 872.0) 0.03
Copper (µg/L) 992 (824.6, 1146.8) 971.6 (763.0, 1173.6) 999.5 (839.2, 1132.3) 974.6 (837.9, 1130.9) 0.96
Selenium (µg/L) 72 (48.4, 91.4) 78.9 (48.0, 109.7) 61.9 (45.4, 79.9) 72.5 (59.9, 87.5) 0.49
Age (15–18)
Ferritin (ng/mL) 48.3 (23.5, 79.8) 60.7 (27.7, 92.2) 48.3 (18.06, 63.7) 44.3 (26.1, 82.6) 0.48
Folate (ng/mL) 4 (3.1, 6.3) 4.4 (3.3, 5.6) 4 (3.3, 6.6) 3.3 (2.6, 6.2) 0.29
Vitamin B12 (pg/mL) 244 (170, 400) 223.5 (178.5, 393.5) 227.0 (170.0, 400.0) 304.0 (170.0, 443.0) 0.75
Vitamin D (ng/mL) 17.3 (12, 25.1) 15.3 (12, 22.2) 13.5 (11.5, 24.5) 22.9 (17.3, 27.5) 0.05
Zinc (µg/L) 784.5 (621.4, 905.2) 724.7 (499.0, 838.3) 821.9 (657.1, 909.1) 783.8 (551.9, 941.0) 0.36
Copper (µg/L) 926.1 (731.2, 1107.3) 781.0 (630.7, 1081.0) 937.7 (814.6, 1217.0) 944.7 (731.2, 975.4) 0.46
Selenium (µg/L) 70.6 (51.5, 89.5) 58.2 (50.2, 71.1) 75.3 (60.6, 93.3) 84.9 (41.6, 111.1) 0.02