Associations of dietary diversity with anaemia and iron status among 5- to 12-year-old schoolchildren in South Africa. Issue 9 (3rd June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Visser, Marina; Van Zyl, Tertia; Hanekom, Susanna M; Baumgartner, Jeannine; van der Hoeven, Marinka; Taljaard-Krugell, Christine; Smuts, Cornelius M; Faber, Mieke
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 24:Issue 9(2021)
• Page Start: 2554
• Page End: 2562
• Publication Date: 2021-06-03
• Subjects: Dietary diversity, -- Anaemia, -- Iron deficiency, -- School-aged children, -- South Africa; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020000543
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To examine the associations of dietary diversity with anaemia and iron status among primary school-aged children in South Africa. Design: An analysis was conducted with pooled individual data from the baseline surveys from three previously conducted independent intervention studies. Two different dietary diversity scores (DDS) were calculated based on data from 1-day (1-d) and 3-day (3-d) dietary recall periods, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the associations of dietary diversity with anaemia and iron status. Setting: KwaZulu-Natal and North West provinces, South Africa. Participants: Children ( n 578) 5- to 12-year-old. Results: A DDS ≤ 4 was associated with higher odds of being anaemic (1-d P = 0·001; 3-d P = 0·006) and being iron deficient (ID) (3-d P < 0·001). For both recall periods, consumption of 'vegetables and fruits other than vitamin A-rich' and 'animal-source foods (ASF)' was associated with lower odds of being anaemic (both P = 0·002), and 'organ meats' with lower odds of being ID (1-d P = 0·045; 3-d P < 0·001). Consumption of 'meat, chicken and fish' was associated with lower odds of being anaemic ( P = 0·045), and 'vegetables and fruits other than vitamin A-rich', 'legumes, nuts and seeds' and 'ASF' with lower odds of being ID for the 3-d recall period only ( P = 0·038, P = 0·020 and P = 0·003, respectively). Conclusion: In order to improve anaemia and iron status among primary school-aged children, dietary diversification, with emphasis on consumption of vegetables, fruits and ASF (including organ meats), should be promoted.