Micronutrient levels in school-age Colombian children and food insecurity Niveles de micronutrientes e inseguridad alimentaria

Abstract

Introduction: Half of Colombian households are food insecure (FI), this has been associated with malnutrition, which, in children, could be reflected in micronutrient deficiencies as some studies has shown, however, the evidence is not conclusive. Objective: To establish the association between FI and levels of hemoglobin, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, folate and zinc levels in school-age children in Bogotá. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study. The Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) spanish validated scale, was applied to a sample of school-age children households in Bogotá to establish FI prevalence. Using the propensity score an exploration was made of the association between FI with severe hunger and concentrations of iron, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12 and zinc, estimated from serum samples taken from school-age children Results: 2,660 school-age children were included, 76% from households had FI (11.6% FI with severe hunger). Marginal vitamin B12 deficiency of 17%, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies, 14% and 1.4%, respectively. Lower mean levels of vitamin A -0.009 (95% CI: - 0.13, 0.03), vitamin B12 -19.57 (95% CI: - 72.55, 29.94), and folate -9.25 (95% CI: -29.55, 18.66) were found in the exposed to FI with severe hunger school-aged children compared to the unexposed, however, these differences were not statistically significant Conclusion: FI with severe hunger was not associated with the level of micronutrients or their deficiencies in school-age children. The HFSSM adequately measures the difficulty in the acquisition of food due to lack of resources, but does not allow to establish an association with micronutrient concentrations. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.