Multiple micronutrient supplementation reduces anemia and anxiety in rural China's elementary school children. 2013

Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Despite growing wealth and a strengthening government commitment to improve livelihoods and welfare, many students across rural China have inadequate access to micronutrient-rich diets. Poor diets can lead to nutritional problems, such as iron-deficiency anemia, that can adversely affect health, attention, learning, and mental health. The overall goal of this paper is to assess the impact of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) on anemia and anxiety among students in poor areas of rural China. To achieve this goal, we conducted a randomized controlled trial in 54 randomly chosen elementary schools in 8 of the poorest counties in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. Study participants were 2730 fourth-grade students, mostly aged 10-12 y. Schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: a control group that received no intervention and an intervention group that received a daily MMS with 5 mg of iron (ferrous sulfate) for 5 mo. Our primary outcome measures were hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations (assessed by HemoCue 201+ technology), anemia prevalence (defined as Hb) concentrations ≤120 g/L), and anxiety (using a written mental health test). The results showed that 42.4% of students were anemic at baseline. The Hb concentration was 121.7 ± 10.7 g/L in the treatment group and 123.4 ± 11.4 g/L in the control group. MMS increased Hb concentrations by 1.7 g/L ± 0.15 and reduced anemia rates by 7.0 percentage points (P < 0.05). Anxiety was reduced by 0.30 SDs (P < 0.01). MMS reduced both anemia and anxiety. Our results should encourage further research on the linkages between nutrition and mental health in a development context.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007501 Iron A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN. Iron-56,Iron 56
D008297 Male Males
D011203 Poverty A situation in which the level of living of an individual, family, or group is below the standard of the community. It is often related to a specific income level. Federal Poverty Level,Federal Poverty Threshold,Indigency,Low-Income Population,Absolute Poverty,Extreme Poverty,Indigents,Low Income Population,Federal Poverty Levels,Indigent,Level, Federal Poverty,Low Income Populations,Low-Income Populations,Population, Low Income,Population, Low-Income,Poverty Level, Federal,Poverty Threshold, Federal,Poverty, Absolute,Poverty, Extreme
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002681 China A country spanning from central Asia to the Pacific Ocean. Inner Mongolia,Manchuria,People's Republic of China,Sinkiang,Mainland China
D005260 Female Females
D005296 Ferrous Compounds Inorganic or organic compounds that contain divalent iron. Compounds, Ferrous
D006454 Hemoglobins The oxygen-carrying proteins of ERYTHROCYTES. They are found in all vertebrates and some invertebrates. The number of globin subunits in the hemoglobin quaternary structure differs between species. Structures range from monomeric to a variety of multimeric arrangements. Eryhem,Ferrous Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin,Hemoglobin, Ferrous
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000740 Anemia A reduction in the number of circulating ERYTHROCYTES or in the quantity of HEMOGLOBIN. Anemias

Related Publications

Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
October 2010, The Journal of nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
November 1976, Pediatrics,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
August 2009, The Journal of nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
January 2008, Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
May 2009, The Journal of nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
February 2021, Scientific reports,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
January 1953, Suomen laakarilehti. Finlands lakartidning,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
March 2005, The Journal of nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
March 2005, The Journal of nutrition,
Linxiu Zhang, and Max Kleiman-Weiner, and Renfu Luo, and Yaojiang Shi, and Reynaldo Martorell, and Alexis Medina, and Scott Rozelle
March 1974, Journal of abnormal child psychology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!