A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students
The objective was to determine the prevalence of iron, folates and retinol deficiencies in school children and to evaluate the changes after an intervention of nutritional education. The project was developed in 17 schools. The sample included 1,301 children (678 males and 623 females). A subsample...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2011-01-01
|
| Series: | Anemia |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/284050 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849306413062422528 |
|---|---|
| author | María Nieves García-Casal Maritza Landaeta-Jiménez Rafael Puche Irene Leets Zoila Carvajal Elijú Patiño Carlos Ibarra |
| author_facet | María Nieves García-Casal Maritza Landaeta-Jiménez Rafael Puche Irene Leets Zoila Carvajal Elijú Patiño Carlos Ibarra |
| author_sort | María Nieves García-Casal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective was to determine the prevalence of iron, folates and retinol deficiencies in school children and to evaluate the changes after an intervention of nutritional education. The project was developed in 17 schools. The sample included 1,301 children (678 males and 623 females). A subsample of 480 individuals, was randomly selected for drawing blood for biochemical determinations before and after the intervention of nutritional education, which included in each school: written pre and post-intervention tests, 6 workshops, 2 participative talks, 5 game activities, 1 cooking course and 1 recipe contest. Anthropometrical and biochemical determinations included weight, height, body-mass index, nutritional status, hematocrit, serum ferritin, retinol and folate concentrations. There was high prevalence of iron (25%), folates (75%) and vitamin A (43%) deficiencies in school children, with a low consumption of fruit and vegetables, high consumption of soft drinks and snacks and almost no physical activity. The nutritional education intervention produced a significant reduction in iron deficiency prevalence (25 to 14%), and showed no effect on vitamin A and folates deficiencies. There was a slight improvement in nutritional status. This study shows, through biochemical determinations, that nutritional education initiatives and programs have an impact improving nutritional health in school children. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-34bab685e2014c0f892baadb1d722b15 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-1267 2090-1275 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Anemia |
| spelling | doaj-art-34bab685e2014c0f892baadb1d722b152025-08-20T03:55:06ZengWileyAnemia2090-12672090-12752011-01-01201110.1155/2011/284050284050A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in StudentsMaría Nieves García-Casal0Maritza Landaeta-Jiménez1Rafael Puche2Irene Leets3Zoila Carvajal4Elijú Patiño5Carlos Ibarra6Laboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, VenezuelaFundación Bengoa para la Salud y Nutrición, 8va Transversal con 7ma Avenida, Quinta Pacairigua, Altamira, Caracas 1050, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, VenezuelaFundación Bengoa para la Salud y Nutrición, 8va Transversal con 7ma Avenida, Quinta Pacairigua, Altamira, Caracas 1050, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Fisiopatología, Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020-A, VenezuelaThe objective was to determine the prevalence of iron, folates and retinol deficiencies in school children and to evaluate the changes after an intervention of nutritional education. The project was developed in 17 schools. The sample included 1,301 children (678 males and 623 females). A subsample of 480 individuals, was randomly selected for drawing blood for biochemical determinations before and after the intervention of nutritional education, which included in each school: written pre and post-intervention tests, 6 workshops, 2 participative talks, 5 game activities, 1 cooking course and 1 recipe contest. Anthropometrical and biochemical determinations included weight, height, body-mass index, nutritional status, hematocrit, serum ferritin, retinol and folate concentrations. There was high prevalence of iron (25%), folates (75%) and vitamin A (43%) deficiencies in school children, with a low consumption of fruit and vegetables, high consumption of soft drinks and snacks and almost no physical activity. The nutritional education intervention produced a significant reduction in iron deficiency prevalence (25 to 14%), and showed no effect on vitamin A and folates deficiencies. There was a slight improvement in nutritional status. This study shows, through biochemical determinations, that nutritional education initiatives and programs have an impact improving nutritional health in school children.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/284050 |
| spellingShingle | María Nieves García-Casal Maritza Landaeta-Jiménez Rafael Puche Irene Leets Zoila Carvajal Elijú Patiño Carlos Ibarra A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students Anemia |
| title | A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students |
| title_full | A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students |
| title_fullStr | A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students |
| title_short | A Program of Nutritional Education in Schools Reduced the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Students |
| title_sort | program of nutritional education in schools reduced the prevalence of iron deficiency in students |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/284050 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marianievesgarciacasal aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT maritzalandaetajimenez aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT rafaelpuche aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT ireneleets aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT zoilacarvajal aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT elijupatino aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT carlosibarra aprogramofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT marianievesgarciacasal programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT maritzalandaetajimenez programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT rafaelpuche programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT ireneleets programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT zoilacarvajal programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT elijupatino programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents AT carlosibarra programofnutritionaleducationinschoolsreducedtheprevalenceofirondeficiencyinstudents |