TY - JOUR
T1 - Supplemental vitamin A improves anemia and growth in anemic school children in Tanzania
AU - Mwanri, Lillian
AU - Worsley, Anthony
AU - Ryan, Philip
AU - Masika, Joseph
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - We conducted a randomized controlled trial of the effects of dietary supplements on anemia, weight and height in 136 anemic school children from a low socioeconomic background in Bagamoyo District schools in Tanzania. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of dietary supplements on anemia and anthropometric indices of anemic school children. The supplements were vitamin A alone, iron and vitamin A, iron alone or placebo, administered in a double-blinded design for 3 mo. All supplements were provided with local corn meals. Hemoglobin concentration, body weight and height were measured at baseline and at follow-up after supplementation. Vitamin A supplementation increased the mean hemoglobin concentration by 13.5 g/L compared with 3.5 g/L for placebo [P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 6.19-13.57), the mean body weight by 0.6 kg compared with 0.2 kg for placebo (P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.19-0.65) and the mean height by 0.4 cm compared with 0.1 cm for placebo (P = 0.0009, 95% Cl 0.08-0.42). However, the group of children who received combined vitamin A and iron supplementation had the greatest improvements in all indicators compared with placebo (18.5 g/L, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 14.81-22.23; 0.7 kg, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.43-0.88 and 0.4 cm, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.22-0.56 for hemoglobin, weight and height, respectively). It is likely that vitamin A supplementation may have a useful role in combating the problems of vitamin A deficiency and anemia, as well as in improving children's growth, in developing countries.
AB - We conducted a randomized controlled trial of the effects of dietary supplements on anemia, weight and height in 136 anemic school children from a low socioeconomic background in Bagamoyo District schools in Tanzania. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of dietary supplements on anemia and anthropometric indices of anemic school children. The supplements were vitamin A alone, iron and vitamin A, iron alone or placebo, administered in a double-blinded design for 3 mo. All supplements were provided with local corn meals. Hemoglobin concentration, body weight and height were measured at baseline and at follow-up after supplementation. Vitamin A supplementation increased the mean hemoglobin concentration by 13.5 g/L compared with 3.5 g/L for placebo [P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 6.19-13.57), the mean body weight by 0.6 kg compared with 0.2 kg for placebo (P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.19-0.65) and the mean height by 0.4 cm compared with 0.1 cm for placebo (P = 0.0009, 95% Cl 0.08-0.42). However, the group of children who received combined vitamin A and iron supplementation had the greatest improvements in all indicators compared with placebo (18.5 g/L, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 14.81-22.23; 0.7 kg, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.43-0.88 and 0.4 cm, P < 0.0001, 95% Cl 0.22-0.56 for hemoglobin, weight and height, respectively). It is likely that vitamin A supplementation may have a useful role in combating the problems of vitamin A deficiency and anemia, as well as in improving children's growth, in developing countries.
KW - Anemia
KW - Iron
KW - Randomized controlled trial
KW - Rural school children
KW - Tanzania
KW - Vitamin A
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033744123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jn/130.11.2691
DO - 10.1093/jn/130.11.2691
M3 - Article
C2 - 11053508
AN - SCOPUS:0033744123
VL - 130
SP - 2691
EP - 2696
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
SN - 0022-3166
IS - 11
ER -