The effectiveness of micronutrient supplementation to improve iron deficiency anemia of adolescent girls in mountainous high school in Thanh Hoa province in 2019 – 2020

Abstract

A community intervention study with a placebo group, double-blind, to evaluate the effectiveness of weekly multi-micronutrient tablets on anemia and iron deficiency among adolescent girls in mountainous high school in Thanh Hoa province in 2019 – 2020, using WHO classifications. 322 schoolgirls participating in the intervention were randomly divided into 2 groups, the intervention group took multi-micronutrient tablets including 23 vitamins and minerals of which iron (60 mg), folic acid (2.8 mg), the placebo group took placebo tablets, once a week for 9 months. Results after 9 months of intervention, the average hemoglobin concentration of the intervention group increased by 8.3 ± 11.8 (g/L); the placebo group increased by 3.8 ± 12.3 (g/L) (p < 0.001), the median ferritin concentration (interquartile range) increased by 6.8 (-2; 22.1) (μg/ L) (p < 0.001); the placebo group increased by 1.6 (-18.3; 10.5) (p > 0.05). The difference in mean hemoglobin concentration and median ferritin concentration between the two groups after the intervention was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Thus, weekly multi-micronutrient supplementation for adolescent girls for 9 months has the effect of improving biochemical indicators and the rate of micronutrient deficiency at different levels, preventing anemia, iron deficiency.