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Vitamin A and iron status of women and children in urban Cameroon before and after introduction of vitamin A‐fortified vegetable oil and iron‐fortified wheat flour (804.18)
Author(s) -
EngleStone Reina,
Ndjebayi Alex,
Nankap Martin,
Gimou MarieMadeleine,
Friedman Avital,
Brown Kenneth
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.804.18
Subject(s) - fortification , soluble transferrin receptor , vitamin , medicine , iron deficiency , ferritin , iron status , food fortification , biofortification , fortified food , food science , micronutrient , wheat flour , environmental health , anemia , population , chemistry , pathology
Few data are available on the effectiveness of mass food fortification programs. We conducted representative surveys 2 y before and 1 y after introduction of vitamin A (VA)‐fortified cooking oil and iron‐fortified wheat flour to assess program impact on VA and iron status in urban Cameroon. In each survey, 10 different households were selected within each of the same 30 clusters (n=~300/survey). Malaria and plasma indicators of inflammation (CRP, AGP) and VA (retinol‐binding protein, pRBP) and iron (ferritin, pF; soluble transferrin receptor, sTfR) status were assessed among women 15‐49 y and children 12‐59 mo. Staple food intake was measured by FFQ, and post‐fortification oil and flour samples were collected. Pre‐fortification, low inflammation‐adjusted pRBP was common among children (33% < 0.83 µmol/L), but not women (2% < 0.78 µmol/L); > 20% of women and children had low adjusted pF. Oil and flour were each consumed by >80% of participants in the past week. Post‐fortification, 44% of oil and 76% of flour samples were fortified. Controlling for inflammation and malaria, there was no change in pRBP among women (1.41 to 1.40 µmol/L) or children (0.87 to 0.88 µmol/L), but pF increased (women: 37 to 47 µg/L; children: 39 to 51 µg/L, both P < 0.05) and sTfR decreased (7.7 to 6.2 and 10.6 to 8.2 mg/L, P < 0.01). Plausibility analyses will determine whether the observed changes are attributable to the fortification program. Grant Funding Source : Supported by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Sight and Life, and UNICEF