Iron deficiency anaemia is an important health problem in Morocco. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of anaemia among school children in Kenitra. The sample represents school children of all educational levels and age ranged between 6-15 years. The level of hemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was measured in a group of 271 school children. The seric iron was assessed and anaemia was defined when hemoglobin < 11.5 g dL(-1). A questionnaire was developed to obtain information about the daily food consumption and socio-economic conditions. The prevalence of anaemia was 16.2%. The mean hemoglobin concentration was 12.53 g dL(-1) in boys and 12.52 g dL(-1) in girls. The results suggest that iron deficiency is an important determinant of anaemia in this population. There was a significant relationship between education of the mother and anaemia in children (p = 0.004) but not with the family income. It is concluded that improving the economic status of the family, women education and health education about balanced animal and plant food consumption are recommended strategies to reduce the burden of anaemia.

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Background: Although, the literature is abundant on the adverse effects of micronutrient deficiencies on neurocognitive performance, iron deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide because it continues to be the single most common nutritional deficiency and the main cause of anaemia in infancy and childhood. Nutritional anemia occurs when body reserves for a specific nutrient are inadequate for the synthesis of hemoglobin. This deficiency is due to inadequate iron intake and poor bioavailability. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2 billion people in the world today are estimated to be deficient in iron deficiency. Objectives: Rates of the highest prevalences in the developing world were found among pregnant women with 56% of school children followed directly 53%. The distribution of iron in the brain is very heterogeneous, a characteristic of the species in which the concentrations were determined. The highest concentrations are localised in the nucleus accumbens, the substantia nigra (nigra), the nucleolus cerebellar deep red nucleus and some portions of the hippocampus. These distributions occur at an advanced age especially when all the neuro-developmental activity is performed. Results: Iron supplementation improves mental development scores of anemic children. These results are amplified by psychosocial stimulation at home or in specialized centers. In sectoriel studies that our team has made in the region of Kenitra with populations of school children, the results are unanimous on the correlation between martial status and school performance and/or overall intelligence score determined by Raven's Progressive Matrices when socioeconomic variables are controlled. Conclusion: A comprehensive study using evoked potentials is desirable to confirm the relationship between iron deficiency neuro-cognitive development.

Morocco like several developing countries is undergoing a nutritional transition characterized by the coexistence of nutritional deficiencies and diseases of overweight within the same household. The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence of anemia and overweight (overweight and obesity) among women of reproductive age in two sentinel centers, one rural and one urban area Kenitra. A sample of 128 women was recruited during their visit to the immunization of their preschool children at the health centers. Anthropometric measures and evaluation of hemoglobin were done under the supervision of the medical team of the health center. Women responded to a questionnaire on their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The mean age and standard deviation was 28.37 ± 6.91 with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 50 years. Body mass index average was 25.83 ± 6.15 kg/m 2 and the average hemoglobin was 11.43 ± 1.5 g/dl. According to standard threshold of more than 30 kg/m 2 and less than 12 mg/dl, respectively, for BMI and hemoglobin, the results show rates of overweight or obesity in 56 % of subjects with a strict obesity prevalence of 15.6 %. Anemia reached a high rate of 60 %. The prevalence of anemia is very high compared with the values of national surveys. Obesity is strongly associated with age. Indeed, older women are at increased risk especially if they have a high number of siblings. The nutrition transition looks serious in the study area. Nutrition education and awareness for physical activity are needed. On the other hand, the strategies against iron deficiency and anemia should identify at-risk populations and advocate a more aggressive nutrition communication.