Anemia in Rural Kenyan Children: Role of Malaria, Infection and Poor Diet Quality and Meat Intake

Anemia, defi ned as blood hemoglobin (Hb) level below 110 g/L, affects roughly half of Kenyan children. Anemia in children is associated with reduced physical activity, apathy, impaired cognitive function and increased infection. The causes of anemia can be multi-factorial. These include single or multiple nutritional defi ciencies, malaria, intestinal parasites, systemic infections and genetic abnormalities. The nutrients of concern are found in abundance in meat, fi sh, or fowl. The impact of meat intake on anemia was studied in a randomized feeding intervention study of Kenyan primary school children and toddlers, aged 8-42 months. School children were fed on all school days with an isocaloric maize-based dish (githeri) supplemented with meat, milk, or additional oil for two years. Toddlers received isocaloric millet porridge with added meat, milk or oil for six to eight months. At baseline, anemia was found in 72 % of toddlers and 49 % of schoolers. Malaria was present in 13 % of the toddlers and 32 % of the schoolers, and was negatively correlated with Hb. In schoolers, Hb was signifi cantly and positively associated with biochemical blood concentrations of iron, zinc, folate, vitamins B 12 and A. As for nutrient intakes in the schoolers, Hb showed weak but signifi cant positive correlations with protein, folate, animal source vitamin A, and negatively with phytate and fi ber. In toddlers, intakes of meat and heme iron were positively related to Hb. Although malaria is one of the main causes of anemia, little or no meat in the diet wit