Subclinical inflammation influences the association between Vitamin A-And iron status among schoolchildren in Ghana

Background and objective In resource-poor settings, micronutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin A deficiency may coexist with iron-deficiency. In this study we assessed the iron and Vitamin A status of schoolchildren and the association between Vitamin A and iron status. Methods A cross-sectional design using the baseline data of a dietary intervention trial conducted among randomly selected 5±12 years old schoolchildren (n = 224) from 2 rural schools in northern Ghana. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF) and serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) concentrations were used as measures of iron status. Retinol binding protein (RBP) was used as a measure of Vitamin A status. Subclinical inflammation (SCI) was measured using C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-Acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentrations. We examined the cross-sectional association between Vitamin A and iron status biomarkers with multiple linear regressions. Results The proportions of schoolchildren with anemia (WHO criteria), iron-deficiency (ID, SF 8.5mg/l) and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA, concurrent anemia and ID) were 63.8%, 68.3% and 46.4% respectively. Low or marginal Vitamin A status (0.70 μmol/l RBP <1.05μmol/l) was present in 48.2% while 37.5% of the schoolchildren had Vitamin A deficiency (VAD, RBP