Abstract

This study was conducted to assess deficiencies in iron, folic acid and Vitamin B₁₂as well as nutritional status in a sample of school-age children in Turkey. The study was conducted on 172 children (boys: 80; girls: 92) aged 6 to 13 years from two different primary schools in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. Data were obtained on children anthropometry, 24 dietary recalls, hematological and biochemical parameters of vitamin and iron bioavailability. The prevalence of deficiencies in iron, folic acid and Vitamin B₁₂ were 15.7, 0.6 and 3.5%, respectively. In this study 18% of children were determined underweight or risk of underweight and 15.2% of children were determined overweight or obese. Body weight measurements for age were significantly low in children who had iron, folic acid or Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency (p<0.01). Intake of energy was inadequate in 38% of the subjects, while iron and Vitamin B₁₂ intake were inadequate in 29 and 58%, respectively. As a result of this study many dietary deficiencies especially for iron, are still common and vitamin B₁₂ deficiency rather than folic acid deficiency was seemed to be the more prominent in Turkish grade school children.

Key words: School-aged children, folic acid, vitamin B₁₂, iron, anemia.