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Concurrent iron and zinc deficiencies in lactating mothers and their children 6–23 months of age in two agro-ecological zones of rural Ethiopia

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the co-occurrences of low serum ferritin and zinc and anaemia among mothers and their children in two agro-ecological zones of rural Ethiopia.

Methods

Data were collected from 162 lactating mothers and their breast fed children aged 6–23 months. The data were collected via a structured interview, anthropometric measurements, and blood tests for zinc, ferritin and anaemia. Correlation, Chi-square and multivariable analysis were used to determine the association between nutritional status of mothers and children, and agro-ecological zones.

Results

Low serum levels of iron and zinc, anaemia and iron deficiency anaemia were found in 44.4, 72.2, 52.5 and 29.6% of children and 19.8, 67.3, 21.8, 10.5% of mothers, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the micronutrient status of the mothers and the children for ferritin, zinc and anaemia (p < 0.005). Deficiency in both zinc and ferritin and one of the two was observed in 19.1, and 53.7% of the mothers and 32.7 and 46.3%, of their children, respectively. In the 24 h before the survey, 82.1% of mothers and 91.9% of their infants consumed foods that can decrease zinc bioavailability while only 2.5% of mothers and 3.7% of their infants consumed flesh foods.

Conclusion

This study shows that micronutrient deficiencies were prevalent among lactating mothers and their children, with variation in prevalence across the agro-ecological zones. This finding calls for a need to design effective preventive public health nutrition programs to address both the mothers’ and their children’s needs.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Irish Aid for sponsoring Ph.D. studies as part of Agridiet project and the research work included in this paper. Kedir Teji would also like to thank the entire Agridiet team for their great guidance and support during his stay in Cork. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Haramaya University, all participants of the study and data collectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Health and Medical Science, Haramaya Univesity, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

    Kedir Teji Roba

  2. School of Food and Nutritional Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Kedir Teji Roba, Thomas P. O’Connor & Nora M. O’Brien

  3. Department of Population and Family Health, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

    Tefera Belachew

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  1. Kedir Teji Roba
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  2. Thomas P. O’Connor
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  3. Tefera Belachew
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  4. Nora M. O’Brien
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Correspondence to Nora M. O’Brien.

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Roba, K.T., O’Connor, T.P., Belachew, T. et al. Concurrent iron and zinc deficiencies in lactating mothers and their children 6–23 months of age in two agro-ecological zones of rural Ethiopia. Eur J Nutr 57, 655–667 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1351-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1351-5

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