Anthropometric indices and prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia among school children in Delta State, Nigeria: an intervention study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2478/AMB-2024-0018Keywords:
anaemia, haemoglobin, malnutrition, nutritional status, vitaminsAbstract
Background: Anaemia being a condition of low levels of haemoglobin in the blood is a public health problem that affects approximately 1.3 to 2.2 billion people worldwide. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia and its association with anthropometric measurements among school children in Delta State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was a pretest-postest study of 201 primary school (age 6-12 years) and secondary school (age 13-19 years) respondents randomly selected from primary and secondary schools in the three senatorial districts of Delta State. Eighty-three (41.3%) males and 118 (58.7%) females with a mean age of 12.30 ± 3.14 years were enrolled in the study. The preventive intervention protocol consisted of a single dose of vitamin A, daily vitamin C, weekly vitamin E, and twice weekly ferrous sulphate supplements administered for five weeks. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected. Assessment of anaemia was done by pretest-postest haemoglobin determination. Results: The prevalence of anaemia at baseline was 38.3% and 0% post-intervention. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and thinness at baseline were 7.0%, 14.3 % and 15.0%, respectively, and postintervention were 5.5%, 8.7% and 8.5%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight at baseline and post-intervention was 5.0%. The correlation between anaemia and underweight was r = -0.399, p = 0.005. The correlation between anaemia and body mass index was r = -0.234, p < 0.001. Conclusion: Nutritional deficiency could cause anaemia among school children. However, intake of antioxidant vitamins and iron might help to reduce the burden.
References
Oyewole OO, Nkanga EA, Oyerinde IE et al. Factors Affecting Anemia in Pregnancy Women in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria. Inquiry. 2023; 60:469580231159961.
World Health Organization/UNICEF. Iron deficiency anaemia, assessment, prevention and control: a guide for programme
managers. World Heal Organ Geneva. Published online 2001.
Gemechu K, Asmerom H, Gedefaw L et al. Anemia prevalence and associated factors among school-children of Kersa Woreda in eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2023, 24;18(3):e0283421.
Lestari S, Fujiati II, Eyanoer PC et al. The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anemia among Primary School Children in North Sumatera, Indonesia. Age. 2020;8: 119.
Dreyfuss ML, Stoltzfus RJ, Shrestha et al. Hookworms, Malaria and Vitamin A Deficiency Contribute to Anemia And Iron Deficiency among Pregnant Women in the Plains of Nepal. J Nutr. 2000;130:2527-36.
Mikki N, Stigum H. Anaemia prevalence and associated sociodemographic and dietary factors among Palestinian adolescents in the West Bank. East Mediterr J. 2011;17:208-17.
Assefa S, Mossie A, Hamza L. Prevalence and severity of anemia among school children in Jimma Town , Southwest Ethiopia. BMC Hematol. 2014;14:1-9.
Black R, Allen L, Bhutta Z et al. Maternal and Child Undernutrition Study Group. Maternal and child undernutrition: global
and regional exposures and health consequences. Lancet. 2008;371:243-60.
Adewale B, Osuolale KA, Rahman NO. A Study of Anthropometric Indices among Pupils in Rural Communities around Kainji Dam, Niger State. J Biosci Med. 2020;8:169-78. doi:10.4236/jbm.2020.86016
Low M, Farrell A, Biggs BA et al. Effects of daily iron supplementation in primary-school – aged children: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cmaj. 2013; 185(17):E791-802.
Srivastava A, Mahmood S, Srivastava P et al. Nutritional status of school-age children – A scenario of urban slums in India. Arch Public Heal. 2012;70:1-8.
Sumbele IUN, Bopda OSM, Kimbi HK. Cross-Sectional, Nutritional Status of Children in a Malaria Meso Endemic Area: A Study on Prevalence, Intensity, Predictors, Influence on Malaria Parasitaemia and Anaemia Severity. BioMed Cent. 2015;15:1-9.
Adugna DG, Kibret AA, Aragie H et al. Prevalence and determinants of anemia among children aged from 6 to 59 months in Liberia. Front Pediatr. 202311:1152083.
Ejueyitsi OE, George BO, Anigboro et al. Assessment of Frequency and Consumption Pattern of Some Indigenous Soups in Delta State. Trop J Nat Prod Res. 2022 6 (4), 592-598.
Maziya-Dixon B, Akinyele IO, Oguntona EB, et al. Nigeria Food Consumption and Nutrition Survey 2001–2003: Summary. Ibadan: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), 2004.
Waterlow I, Buzina R, Keller W et al. The presentation and use of height and weight data for comparing the nutritional status of groups of children under the age of 10 years. Bull World Heal Organ. 1977;55:489-98.
Garcia-Casal MN, Pasricha SR, Sharma AJ, Peña-Rosas JP. Use and interpretation of hemoglobin concentrations for assessing anemia status in populations: results from a WHO technical meeting. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019 Aug;1450(1): 5-14.
WHO Expert Committee on Physical Status. Physical status: the use and interpretation of anthropometry, report of a WHO expert committee. (WHO Technical Report Series, No. 854. World Heal Organ Geneva. Published online 1995.
Eiler RJ. Eilers. Notification of Final Adoption of an International Method and Standard Solution for Hemoglobinometry
Specifications for Preparation of Standard Solution. Am J Clin Pathol. 1967;47:212-4. 10.1093/ajcp/47.2.212.
DeMaeyer E, Adiels-Tegman M. The prevalence of anaemia in the world. World Heal Stat Q. 1985;38:302-16.
Akeredolu IA, Oguntona BE, Okafor C et al. Iron, Zinc, and Copper Malnutrition among Primary School Children in Lagos, Niagara. Food Nutr Sci. 2011;02:1063-1070.
Hall A, Bobrow E, Brooker S et al. Anaemia in school children in eight countries in Africa and Asia. Public Health Nutr. 2001;4:749-756.
Hay G, Sandstad B, Whitelaw A et al. Iron status in a group of Norwgian children aged 6-24 months. Acta Pediatr. 2004;93:592-8.
Cusick S, Mei Z, Freedman D et al. Unexplained decline in the prevalence of anemia among US children and women between
-1994 and 1999-2002. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88:1611-7.
Abou-Zeid AH, Abdel-Fattah MM, Al-Shehri ASA et al. Anemia and nutritional status of school children living at Saudi high altitute area. Saudi Med J. 2006;27(6):862-869.
Karkar P, Kotecha P. Prevalence of anemia among students of Nursing School of Vadodara. Nurs J India. 2004;95:257-8.
Kilbride J, Baker T, Parapia L et al. Incidence of iron Deficiency in infants in a prospective study in Jordan. Eur J Hematol. 2000;64:231-236.
Munoz M, Villar I, Jose AG. An update on iron physiology. World J Gastroenterol. 2009;15:20-26.
Tatala S, Kihamia C, Kyungu L et al. Risk factors for anemia in school children in Tanga Region, Tanzania. Tanzan J Heal Res. 2008;10:189-202.
Emebu P, Onimawo I. Assessment of anaemia and iron status of school age children (aged 7-12 years) in rural communities of Abia State, Nigeria. African J Food, Agric Nutr Dev. 2010;10:1-17.
Galli F, Bonomini M, Bartolini D et al. Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) metabolism and nutrition in chronic kidney disease.
Antioxidants. 2022; 11(5):989.
Otuaga EJ, Okpoghono J, George BO. Non-Heme Iron Content and Antioxidant Activities of Wistar Rats Fed Aqueous Extract of Elaeis guineensis (Banga Soup) Cooked Using Different Utensils. J Appl Environ Manage.2020; 24: 1071-1077.
Nogueira-de-Almeida CA, Prozorovscaia D, Mosquera EMB et al. Low bioavailability of dietary iron among Brazilian children: Study in a representative sample from the Northeast, Southeast, and South regions. Front. Public Health 2023;11:1122363.
Ifebajo A, Afolabi WA, Sanni S et al. Assessment of anthropometric and iron status of school children in Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State , nigeria. Int J Adv Acad Res. 2020;6:60-82.
Pedlar CR, Brugnara C, Bruinvels G et al. Iron balance and iron supplementation for the female athlete: A practical aproach. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 2018;18:295-305.
Rubeor A, Goojha C, Manning J et al. Does Iron Supplementation Improve Performance in Iron-Deficient Nonanemic Athletes? Sports Health. 2018;10:400-405.
Tayel D, Ezzat S. Anemia and its associated factors among adolescents in Alexandria, Egypt. Int J Heal Sci Res. 2015;5:260-71.
El-Ashry N. Adolescents anemia prevention program. The Egyptian Experience, SAHCD/SHIP. Sch Age Heal Care Dep Minist Heal. Published online 2009.
Zohora F, Bidad K, Pourpak Z, Moin M. Biological and Immunological Aspects of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Cancer Development: A Narrative Review. Nutr Cancer. 2018; 70(4):546-556.
Brissot P, Bernard DG, Brissot E et al. Rare anemias due to genetic iron metabolism defects. Mutat Res Rev Mutat Res. 2018;777:52-63.
Khan L. Anemia in Childhood. Pediatr Ann. 2018; 47(2):e42-e47.
Utami MMH, Kustiyah L, Dwiriani CM. Risk Factors of stunting, iron deficiency anaemia, and their coexistence among children aged 6-9 years in indonesia: results from the indonesian family life survey-5 (IFLS-5) in 2014-2015. Amerta Nutr. 2023; 7(1):120-130
Tesema GA, Worku MG, Tessema ZT et al. Prevalence and determinants of severity levels of anemia among children aged
-59 months in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel ordinal logistic regression analysis. PLoS One. 2021; 16(4):e0249978.
Adugna DG, Kibret AA, Aragie H et al. Prevalence and determinants of anemia among children aged from 6 to 59 months in Liberia: a multilevel analysis of the 2019/20 Liberia demographic and health survey data. Front. Pediatr. 2023; 11:1152083.
Khan, S., Zaheer, S. and Safdar NF. Determinants of Stunting, Underweight Pakistan, and Wasting among Children < 5 Years of Age: Evidence from 2012-2013 Demographic and Health Survey. BioMed Cent Public Heal. 2019;19:1-15.
Eidwina CA, Faridah L, Ermaya YS et al. Association of Ascariasis with Nutritional and Anemic Status in Early School-Age Students. Althea Med J. 2016;3:93-98.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 J.E. Moyegbone, J. Okpoghono, E.U. Nwose, A. Clarke, C.C. Ofili, J.O. Odoko, E.A. Agege (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
You are free to share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format under these terms.
Journal Acta Medica Bulgarica 
