Iron-folic acid rich biscuit supplementation to reduce anaemia among adolescent girls

Abstract

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of nutritional anaemia. Thus the study aimed to find out the effect of supplementation of iron-folic acid rich biscuits on the anaemic adolescent girls of Kottayam Taluk area. The study was conducted among 500 adolescent girls (12-19 yrs) of Kottayam Taluk of Kottayam District in Kerala. Overall prevalence of anaemia was 57 per cent. Fortified wheat flour, Rice bran flour, soy bean flour, gingelly seeds, peanut butter, egg, sugar and baking powder were the ingredients used for biscuit formulation. A sub sample of 50 from the anaemic adolescents was taken for this study. The biscuit was supplemented for a period of three months for the experimental group (N=25) and the effects were compared to that of control group (N=25). A statistically significant increase in haemoglobin, serum iron and serum folic acid levels was observed among the experimental group after the supplementation of iron-folic acid rich biscuits.