Assessment of anaemia and iron status of school age children (aged 7-12 years) in rural communities of Abia state, Nigeria

School-age children are at high risk of anaemia, because of their low haemoglobin levels due to lack of iron intake. Anaemia causes pain and death, inhibits brain development, motor, mental, intelligence and physical growth, decreased physical abilities, pale faces which will reduce enthusiasm and learning achievement of school children. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of giving lemuru fish sausage made from durian seeds on protein intake and haemoglobin levels in children with anaemia. This type of research is a quasi-experimental, namely the pre-test design and post-test experiment. Lemuru fish sausage made from durian seeds was given every day for 30 days to 30 school-age children in SD Negeri Jati Sari Lubuk pakam City, Deli Serdang Residence. Measurement of Haemoglobin and food consumption (energy, protein, vitamin C and iron) was carried out before and after the intervention. The results showed that most of the intake of energy, vitamin C and iron in school children was in the <100% category. The mean Haemoglobin before the intervention was 10.9 g / dl; after the intervention, the mean Haemoglobin was 12.1 g / dl. The mean increase in hemoglobin 1.2 g / dl was statistically significant (p-value = 0.000). It has been recommended to increase the time to intervene and use iron status indicators in other studies.

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HOW IMPORTANT IS A SCHOOL? EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF REMOTENESS FROM A SCHOOL ON CANADIAN COMMUNITIES’ ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

International Journal of Child Youth and Family Studies ◽

10.18357/ijcyfs122202120231 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 12-34

Author(s):

Karen Foster ◽

Ray Bollman ◽

Hannah Main

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Population Change ◽

Empirical Test ◽

Population Decline ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

School Closures ◽

School Based ◽

Attraction And Retention ◽

The Impact

Many Canadian communities, especially rural communities, are concerned about youth outmigration as a cause of population decline, which is associated with fewer services and amenities. Proponents of keeping underattended schools open argue that removing a school from the community means that fewer families will want to live there, and that more families will consider leaving. Others view school closures as a rational response to population decline. Still other perspectives complicate the correlation between schools and population, noting phenomena such as children “learning to leave” and “place attachment” that modulate the temptation to move away. This paper offers an empirical test of discursive connections between school closures and mobilities by studying the population change of school-age children in Canadian census subdivisions indexed by distance to the nearest school. Based on this method, we conclude that there is a positive correlation between the school-age population in a community and proximity to a school in that community. Although our data do not answer the question of whether school closures cause population decline, or such a decline causes school closures, or both, we provide a quantitative foundation on which to ask it.

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Association between Active H. pylori Infection and Iron Deficiency Assessed by Serum Hepcidin Levels in School-Age Children

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11092141 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2141

Author(s):

Eugenia Mendoza ◽

Ximena Duque ◽

Jordán I. Hernández Franco ◽

Elba Reyes Maldonado ◽

Segundo Morán ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iron Deficiency ◽

Iron Status ◽

Joint Effect ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

13C Urea Breath Test ◽

H Pylori

Hepcidin regulates iron metabolism. Its synthesis increases in infection and decreases in iron deficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency by levels of hepcidin in children. A total of 350 school-age children participated in this cross-sectional study. Determinations of serum ferritin, hemoglobin, hepcidin, C-reactive protein, and α-1-acid-glycoprotein were done. Active H. pylori infection was performed with a 13C-urea breath test. In schoolchildren without H. pylori infection, hepcidin was lower in those with iron deficiency compared to children with normal iron status (5.5 ng/mL vs. 8.2 ng/mL, p = 0.017); while in schoolchildren with H. pylori infection the levels of hepcidin tended to be higher, regardless of the iron nutritional status. Using multivariate analysis, the association between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency was different by hepcidin levels. The association between H. pylori and iron deficiency was not significant for lower values of hepcidin (Odds Ratio = 0.17; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.02–1.44), while the same association was significant for higher values of hepcidin (OR = 2.84; CI 95% 1.32–6.09). This joint effect is reflected in the adjusted probabilities for iron deficiency: Individuals with H. pylori infection and higher levels of hepcidin had a probability of 0.24 (CI 95% 0.14–0.34) for iron deficiency, and this probability was 0.24 (CI 95% 0.14–0.33) in children without H. pylori infection and lower levels of hepcidin. In children with H. pylori infection and iron deficiency, the hepcidin synthesis is upregulated. The stimulus to the synthesis of hepcidin due to H. pylori infection is greater than the iron deficiency stimulus.

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