Simon Tatala|Ulf Svanberg|Benedicta Mduma
Low dietary iron availability is a major cause of anemia: a nutrition survey in the Lindi District of Tanzania
Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center|Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center|Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center
nutrition survey conducted rural lindi district tanzania determine magnitude anemia iron deficiency different age sex groups related nutritional status parasitic infections food iron intake socioeconomic factors 30cluster sampling design 660 households randomly selected total 2320 subjects aged 6 mo 65 examined iron status assessed measuring hemoglobin erythrocyte protoporphyrin fingerprick sample 55 subjects anemia 61 anemia associated iron deficiency erythrocyte protoporphyrin 125 micromolmol heme preschool children aged 5 affected 84 anemic hemoglobin 110 gl fifty percent nonanemic preschool children approximately 90 severely anemic subjects iron deficient hemoglobin lower schoolchildren aged 514 adolescent adult males aged 15 low body mass index parasitic infections associated anemia iron deficiency schoolchildren adolescent adult males malaria associated anemia p 0001 whereas schistosomiasis associated anemia iron deficiency p 0001 p 005 respectively hookworm infestation associated iron deficiency p 005 anemia p 001 adolescents adults mainly cerealbased diet additional legumes green vegetables found vitro tests contain high amounts total iron low bioavailability estimation amount iron absorbed confirmed inadequate iron nutrition although anemia result synergism variety causes iron deficiency remains major cause