Iron status of adolescent girls from two boarding schools in southern Benin

Abstract

Iron deficiency (ID) is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world, particularly in developing countries. Blood samples and a qualitative FFQ on Feand vitamin C-rich foods were obtained in 180 adolescent girls aged 12 to 17 years living in two boarding schools from south Benin. ID, defined as serum ferritin either ,20 mg/l or 20-50 mg/l, plus two of the following parameters: serum Fe , 11 mmol/l, total iron-binding capacity . 73 mmol/l or transferrin saturation , 20 %, was found in 32 % of subjects. Anaemia (Hb , 120 g/l) was found in 51 % of adolescents, while 24 % suffered from iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) (ID and Hb , 20 g/l). After adjusting for confounding factors (age, mother's and father's occupation, household size) in a logistic regression equation, subjects having a low meat consumption (beef, mutton, pork) (,4 times/week) were more than twice as likely to suffer from ID (OR 5 2?43; 95 % CI 1?72, 3?35; P 5 0?04). Adolescents consuming less fruits (,4 times/week) also had a higher likelihood of suffering from ID (OR 5 1?53; 95 % CI 1?31, 2?80; P 5 0?03). Finally, subjects whose meat consumption was low were twice as likely to suffer from IDA (OR 5 2?24; 95 % CI 1?01, 4?96; P 5 0?04). The prevalence of ID represents an important health problem in these Beninese adolescent girls. A higher consumption of Fe-rich foods and of promoters of Fe absorption (meat factor and vitamin C) is recommended to prevent ID deficiency in these subjects.

Prevalence of anaemia, deficiencies of iron and vitamin A and their determinants in rural women and young children: a cross-sectional study in Kalalé district of northern Benin

“…Second, about 21 % of households in the study area were reported food insecure since farming, which is the primary means of survival, is limited to the rainy season (5) . Diets are also based predominantly on starchy staples with little or no animal products and few fresh fruits and vegetables (1,2,7) . According to the 2012 Benin DHS, only 28·3 and 33·8 % of children received the minimum diet diversity and minimum acceptable diet, respectively (7) , reflecting the higher rates of poverty and less diverse production portfolios in the study area.…”

“…Recent reviews of dietary intake data from Benin showed that recommended daily intakes of key micronutrients, such as vitamin A and Fe, were not met (1)(2)(3)(4) . At the subnational level, in northern Benin, macronutrient intakes are also too low (5,6) .…”

“…At the subnational level, in northern Benin, macronutrient intakes are also too low (5,6) . Lack of dietary diversity is a particularly severe problem in Benin where diets are based predominantly on starchy staples with little or no animal products and few fresh fruits and vegetables (1,2,7) . According to the last Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) carried out in 2012, only 28 % of rural children satisfied the minimum diversity criterion of eating at least four out of seven food groups and 14 % consumed the minimum acceptable diet.…”

Effect of the Brazilian iron fortification of wheat and corn flour on the nutritional iron status in adolescents, 6 years after its implementation

“…In a study conducted in Taiwan, most iron deficiency cases in males aged 10 to 18 years were attributed to inadequate food consumption [25]. Alaoèfe et al [27] observed that the majority of girls that presented anemia and iron deficiency had low consumption frequency of meat, poultry, vegetables, and fruits. In the study by Borges et al [26], children and adolescents that consumed low iron bioavailability diets had 1.68 times more likely (95% CI 1.10-2.56) of suffering anemia than those who consumed diets with high bioavailability of the nutrient.…”

In this issue

“…Alaofè et al (3) present findings of a study assessing iron status among a sample of 180 adolescent girls in Benin which found iron deficiency to be a significant health problem in this population. Iron deficiency is also the focus of a paper from El Ati et al (4) exploring the aetiological factors and perception of anaemia in Tunisian women of reproductive age.…”