Alterations in Nutritional Status, Serum Levels of Minerals and Trace Elements among Helminth- Infected and Non-infected School Children in Gondar town, Ethiopia.
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Date
2015
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Abstract
Objectives: The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between multiple
micronutrient levels and nutritional status among school children with and without helminth
infection in North-west Ethiopia.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric data, blood and stool samples were
collected from 100 children in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Serum concentration of
magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and molybdenum were measured by ICPMS.
Anthropometric indices of weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age were used to estimate
the children's nutritional status. Stool samples were examined by standard microscopic methods
for intestinal parasites.
Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting and intestinal parasitoses among
school children was 23%, 21%, 11% and18%, respectively. The mean serum levels of magnesium,
calcium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and molybdenum were 2.42±0.32 (mg/dl), 15.31±2.14
(mg/dl), 328.19±148.91 (μg/dl), 191.30±50.17 (μg/dl), 86.40±42.40 (μg/dl), 6.32±2.59 (μg/dl), and 0.23±0.15 (μg/dl), respectively. Selenium deficiency, zinc deficiency and magnesium deficiency
occurred in 62%, 47%, and 2% of the school children, respectively. Height-for-age showed
significant positive correlation with the levels of copper and molybdenum (p = 0.01) and with the
levels of magnesium (p = 0.05).
Conclusions: Deficiencies of selenium and zinc were high among the school children although the
deficiencies were not significantly related with their nutritional status. The prevalence of both
malnutrition and intestinal parasitism was not negligible. These calls for the need to undertake
multicentre studies in various parts of the country to substantiate this data so that appropriate and
beneficial strategies for micronutrient supplementation and interventions on nutritional deficiencies
can be planned.
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Amare Bemnet, Moges Beyene, Fantahun Bereket, Tafess Ketema, Woldeyohannes Desalegn, Yismaw Gizachew, Yabutani Tomoki, Mulu Andargachew, Ota Fusao. Alterations in Nutritional Status, Serum Levels of Minerals and Trace Elements among Helminth- Infected and Non-infected School Children in Gondar town, Ethiopia. European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety. 2015 Special issue; 5(5): 1155-1156.