Egbi G., Ayi I., Saalia F.K., Zotor F., Adom T., Harrison E., Ahorlu C.K., Steiner-Asiedu M.
Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana; Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Egbi, G., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Ayi, I., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Saalia, F.K., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Zotor, F., University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana; Adom, T., Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Harrison, E., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Ahorlu, C.K., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Steiner-Asiedu, M., Department of Nutrition, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Background: Nutritional anemia is a public health problem among Ghanaian schoolchildren. There is need to employ dietary modification strategies to solve this problem through school and household feeding programs. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of cowpea-based food containing fish meal served with vitamin C-rich drink to improve iron stores and hemoglobin concentrations in Ghanaian schoolchildren. Methods: The study involved cross-sectional baseline and nutrition intervention phases. There were 150 participants of age 6 to 12 years. They were randomly assigned to 3 groups, fish meal-vitamin C (n = 50), vitamin C (n = 50), and control (n = 50), and given different cowpea-based diets for a 6-month period. Height and weight measurements were done according to the standard procedures, dietary data were obtained by 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaire, hemoglobin concentrations were determined by Hemocue Hemoglobinometer, and serum ferritin and complementreactive protein (CRP) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants' blood samples were examined for malaria parasitemia and stools for helminthes using Giemsa stain and Kato-Katz techniques, respectively. Results: Mean ferritin concentration was not significantly different among groups. End line mean or change in hemoglobin concentrations between fish meal-vitamin C group (128.4 + 7.2/8.3 + 10.6 g/L) and control (123.1 ± 6.6/4.2 ± 10.4 g/L) were different, P <.05. Change in prevalence of anemia in fish meal-vitamin C group (19.5%) was different compared to those of vitamin C group (9.3%) and the control (12.2%). Levels of malaria parasitemia and high CRP among study participants at baseline and end line were 58% and 80% then 55% and 79%, respectively. Level of hookworm infestation was 13%. Conclusion: Cowpea-based food containing 3% fish meal and served with vitamin C-richdrink improved hemoglobin concentration and minimized the prevalence of anemia among the study participants. © The Author(s) 2015.