Extent of multiple micronutrient deficiencies in anemic adolescent schoolgirls in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of selected micronutrient deficiencies among anemic adolescent schoolgirls in rural Bangladesh and to examine their relationships with hemoglobin levels. Three hundred ten anemic girls aged 14–18 years from eight Girls’ high schools in rural areas of Dhaka District in Bangladesh were included in the study. Information on personal characteristics and food habits were collected by interview. Parents were asked about their socioeconomic conditions. Anthropometric data and blood samples were collected following the interview. Twenty eight per cent of the girls had depleted iron stores, 25% had folic acid deficiency, 89% had vitamin B2 and 7% had B12 deficiencies. Further, a significant proportion of the girls had low vitamins A and C status. Frequency of consumption of meat, serum ferritin and vitamin B2 status were found strongly related to hemoglobin by multiple regression analysis. For 1 μg/L change in serum ferritin, there was 0.13 g/L change in hemoglobin, when adjusted for other factors. In conclusion, the data show that there is coexistence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies among anemic adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh. Of all micronutrients, only serum ferritin and vitamin B2 indicators were related to hemoglobin concentrations. Funded by Nestle Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland.