Healthy
Conditions
Keywords
Efficacy, Vietnam, school children, anemia, fortification, micronutrient
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to identify the effect of a school-based food fortification intervention with multi-micronutrients with or without deworming to improve anemia, micronutrient status, cognitive function, health (morbidity and reinfestation rate) and growth (ponderal) in Vietnamese primary schoolchildren.
Detailed description
Concurrent micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in schoolchildren in Vietnam. These deficiencies not only lead to anemia, impair growth, increase susceptibility to infection, impair work capacity, but also impair cognitive development and impair learning ability. The risk of micronutrient deficiencies and anemia increases when individuals are exposed to intestinal helminth infections. Schoolchildren are a neglected group with regard to micronutrient interventions, and school programs afford an excellent opportunity to improve health of these groups. Food fortification with multi-micronutrients is a cost-effective and sustainable strategy, but is not yet implemented on a large scale in Vietnam. Furthermore, little is known about whether high prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection in schoolchildren limits the effect of fortification when this is not combined with regular de-worming.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTworm treatment and multiple micronutrient fortified biscuits
A single dose of intestinal anthelminthic treatment as orange-flavored chewable tablets containing 400 mg Albendazole (Vidoca, Thephaco, Vietnam) was given. Deworming was repeated with Albendazole for all children at the end of the study (after 4 months). The composition and amount of nutrients in each serving of fortified biscuit were 6 mg iron, 5.6 mg zinc, 35µg iodine, 300 µg RAE vitamin A, 1.0 mg thiamin, 0.9 mg riboflavin, 1.1 mg vitamin B6, 10.5 mg NE niacin, 1.5 µg vitamin B12, 120 µg folic acid, 28 mg vitamin C, 150 mg calcium, 74 IU vitamin D, 40 mg magnesium, 6.8 µg selenium, 378 mg potassium, 70 mg phosphorus, 3.0 mg pantothenic acid, 2.8 µg vitamin E, 10 µg vitamin K and 18 µg biotin.
Sponsors
Neys-van Hoogstraten Foundation, The Netherlands
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Years to 8 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* school children aged 6-8 years with written informed consent from parents/caregivers
Exclusion criteria
* hemoglobin concentrations \< 80g/L * chronic disease * congenital abnormalities * mental or severe physical handicap * severe malnutrition * obesity * receiving deworming within the previous 6 mo
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Prevalence of anemia, micronutrient status (iron, vitamin A, zinc, and iodine), and cognitive function (attention, IQ, concentration, and school achievement). | 4 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| growth (especially weight), body composition (body fat) | 4 months |
| prevalence and incidence of infectious diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infection over a 4-month period during the school feeding in | 4 months |
Countries
Thailand
Outcome results
None listed