de Lanerolle-Dias M, de Silva A, Lanerolle P, Arambepola C, Atukorala S
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Ceylon Med J. 2012 Jun;57(2):74-8. doi: 10.4038/cmj.v57i1.4199.
No data exists for nutritional status of female adolescent school dropouts despite one in seven adolescent girls in Sri Lanka being an early school leaver. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of working and non-working female adolescent school dropouts.
A cross-sectional design was used to recruit 613 female adolescent school dropouts, aged 15-19 years, in two districts of the Western Province of Sri Lanka. BMI was calculated by assessment of weight and height. Haemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum folic acid, vitamin B12, and serum zinc were measured.
When girls were grouped into age specific BMI categories, 32.8% of girls were underweight, while 6.1% were overweight. Prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin <120 g/l) in the study population was 17 %. Low iron status (serum ferritin <20 μg/l) was noted in 29.4 % of girls, low serum folate in 28% (folic acid <3 μg/l) and zinc deficiency in 28.8% (zinc <66 μg/dl). Regression modeling indicated that dropping out of school early (at <14 years of age) was a significant risk factor for low serum ferritin (p=0.001, odds ratio=2.1). Working adolescents were at greater risk of low micronutrient status: low serum ferritin (p=0.009; odds ratio=1.8) serum folic acid (p=0.006; odds ratio=1.9) and zinc deficiency (p=0.001; odds ratio=2.1) than non-working adolescents.
Dropping out of school early and being employed increases the risk of micronutrient deficiencies.
尽管在斯里兰卡，每七名少女中就有一人过早辍学，但关于女性青少年辍学者营养状况的数据并不存在。本研究的目的是评估在职和非在职女性青少年辍学者的营养状况。
采用横断面设计，在斯里兰卡西部省的两个地区招募了613名15 - 19岁的女性青少年辍学者。通过测量体重和身高来计算BMI。测量血红蛋白、血清铁蛋白、血清叶酸、维生素B12和血清锌。
当女孩按年龄特定的BMI类别分组时，32.8%的女孩体重不足，而6.1%的女孩超重。研究人群中贫血（血红蛋白<120 g/l）的患病率为17%。29.4%的女孩铁状态低（血清铁蛋白<20 μg/l），28%的女孩血清叶酸低（叶酸<3 μg/l），28.8%的女孩锌缺乏（锌<66 μg/dl）。回归模型表明，过早辍学（<14岁）是血清铁蛋白低的一个重要危险因素（p = 0.001，优势比=2.1）。在职青少年比非在职青少年有更高的微量营养素缺乏风险：血清铁蛋白低（p = 0.009；优势比=1.8）、血清叶酸低（p = 0.006；优势比=1.9）和锌缺乏（p = 0.001；优势比=2.1）。
过早辍学和就业会增加微量营养素缺乏的风险。
