Interactions between growth and nutrient status in school-age children of urban Bangladesh - PubMed (original) (raw)

Interactions between growth and nutrient status in school-age children of urban Bangladesh

F Ahmed et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993 Sep.

Abstract

The relationship between biochemical, anthropometric, and sociodemographic indexes was investigated in 242 children aged 5-12 y from five schools in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. As height-for-age increased so too did the mean serum concentrations of hemoglobin, protein, vitamin A, and zinc; serum copper concentrations were highest in the shortest group. Serum copper concentrations were highest in those with the lowest serum vitamin A concentrations. By multiple regression analysis, family income, age, weight-for-age, hemoglobin, and serum copper were strongly related to serum vitamin A. For every unit change in serum vitamin A there was a 4.92 unit change in hemoglobin, when all the other factors were taken into account. This study shows that there is a complex interaction between concentrations of biochemical indexes of nutritional status and other anthropometric, biochemical, and sociodemographic variables.

PIP: Between February and March 1990, health workers interviewed and took anthropometric measurements and blood samples from 242 children 5-12 years old, attending 3 primary schools in affluent areas and 2 primary schools in poorer areas around a university campus in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Researchers wanted to study the interaction between anthropometric and biochemical measures of nutritional status in seemingly healthy school children. As the height-for-age increased, so did the mean serum levels of protein, hemoglobin, and vitamin A (p = 0.001 for protein and 0.01 for hemoglobin and vitamin A). The rising trends were strongest for hemoglobin and vitamin A. Children in the group with the highest serum vitamin A level ( 1.05 mcmol/L) had significantly higher hemoglobin levels than did those with lower vitamin A levels (adjusted, 138.9 g/L vs. 133.8 g/L for 0.7-1.07 mcmol/L and 132.8 g/L for 0.7 mcmol/L; p = 0.002). For every unit change in vitamin A, a 4.92 unit change in hemoglobin existed. Children who had the lowest serum vitamin A levels had the highest serum copper levels (22.8 mcmol/L vs. 22.3 mcmol/L middle vitamin A group and 19.8 mcmol/L highest vitamin A group; p = 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that family income, age, weight-for-age, and hemoglobin and serum copper levels were significantly associated with serum vitamin A levels. These findings reveal that short children who were light for their age had lower serum vitamin A and hemoglobin levels and higher serum copper levels than their taller and heavier counterparts. They demonstrate a complex interaction between serum levels of biochemical indexes of nutritional status and other anthropometric, biochemical, and sociodemographic variables.

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