Abstract
This study was conducted to assess deficiencies in iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12as well as nutritional status in a sample of school-age children in Turkey. The study was conducted on 172 children (boys: 80; girls: 92) aged 6 to 13 years from two different primary schools in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. Data were obtained on children anthropometry, 24 dietary recalls, hematological and biochemical parameters of vitamin and iron bioavailability. The prevalence of deficiencies in iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12 were 15.7, 0.6 and 3.5%, respectively. In this study 18% of children were determined underweight or risk of underweight and 15.2% of children were determined overweight or obese. Body weight measurements for age were significantly low in children who had iron, folic acid or Vitamin B12 deficiency (p<0.01). Intake of energy was inadequate in 38% of the subjects, while iron and Vitamin B12 intake were inadequate in 29 and 58%, respectively. As a result of this study many dietary deficiencies especially for iron, are still common and vitamin B12 deficiency rather than folic acid deficiency was seemed to be the more prominent in Turkish grade school children. Key words: School-aged children, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, anemia.
Highlights
Dietary deficiencies of vitamins and minerals are commonly seen in developed countries and are an important public health concern in developing countries
Iron deficiency anemia and folic acid deficiency were not determined in boys
A study conducted on school-aged children between the ages of 12 and 13 living in three biggest city of Turkey determined a prevalence of 19.1% for iron deficiency and 3.9% for iron deficiency anemia (Keskin et al, 2005)
Summary
Dietary deficiencies of vitamins and minerals are commonly seen in developed countries and are an important public health concern in developing countries. These deficiencies negatively affect human health and economic progress of the country, lead to important public health concerns, and result in manpower and economic losses. Despite the fact that vitamin and mineral deficiencies are found in all age groups, young children and women of reproductive age are at higher risk (UNICEF and Micronutrient Initiative, 2004; Micronutrient Initiative, 2009). This age is a period of rapid growth and development and is a time during which lifelong behaviors are formed (Feigelman, 2007; Pekcan et al, 2004). The prevention of absorption of vitamins and minerals in foods by various reasons may lead to deficiencies of these substances (Rasmussen et al, 2001; Zimmermann et al, 2007)
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