The Nutritional and Micronutrient Status of Urban Schoolchildren with Moderate Anemia is Better than in a Rural Area in Kenya

Nutrients

EstherCharlotte Evang¹  MichaelBernhardt Krawinkel¹  Tsige-Yohannes Habte¹  WillisOmondi Owino² 

[1] Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Wilhelmstr. 20, D-35392 Giessen, Germany;School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Juja, Nairobi 62000-00200, Kenya;

关键词: nutritional status;    micronutrients;    dietary intake;    urban;    rural;    schoolchildren;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nu12010207

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Low diet quality is a driver of general and micronutrient malnutrition in urban and rural areas. The objective was to compare malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies linked to dietary intake among urban and rural schoolchildren from food insecure settings in Kenya. The cross-sectional study was conducted among urban and rural schoolchildren aged 7−9 years. Height and weight were measured, venous blood samples were assessed and data on dietary intake was collected. After screening out children with hemoglobin >12.2 g/dL and moderate or severe undernutrition, a total of 36 urban and 35 rural children participated. The prevalence of moderate underweight, wasting, and stunting were lower in urban than in rural children, with significant differences in median z-scores for underweight (p < 0.001) and wasting (p < 0.001). Significantly higher values for serum ferritin (p = 0.012) and zinc (p < 0.001) were found in urban children. Yet, the median adequacy ratios were higher for vitamin C (p = 0.045), iron (p = 0.003), and zinc (p = 0.003) in rural than in urban children. General nutritional, iron, and zinc status were significantly better in slightly anemic urban children than in rural ones. Improving the nutrition of schoolchildren in urban and rural settings requires different dietary approaches.

【 授权许可】

Unknown