Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana.
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1024, New Zealand.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Jun 26;60(7):1045. doi: 10.3390/medicina60071045.
: Anaemia is one of the most common forms of malnutrition globally, with most anaemia cases related to micronutrient deficiency. Diets with higher dietary diversity scores (DDS) are usually nutritionally diverse and could positively impact micronutrient status, including haemoglobin (Hb) concentration improvement. The study aimed to determine DDS and its association with the Hb concentration of Boarding and Day adolescent Senior High School students in Ghana. : A semi-structured and three 24 h dietary recalls were used to obtain the participants' demographic and diet intake data, respectively. Hb concentration was assessed using a validated portable haemoglobinometer. DDS was evaluated using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) approach. : A significant difference in the DDS between Boarding and Day students existed. Only 22% of the Boarding students had adequate dietary diversity, whereas 64% of the Day students had adequate dietary diversity. A significantly smaller proportion of the Boarding students consumed nuts and seeds, dairy, flesh foods, eggs, vitamin A-rich vegetables and fruits, other vegetables, and other fruits compared to Day students ( < 0.05, all). No significant difference ( = 0.925) in mean (±SD) Hb concentrations between Boarding (11.9 ± 1.1 g/dL) and Day (11.9 ± 1.1 g/dL) students was found. Additionally, no significant correlation between mean DDS and Hb concentration ( = 0.997) was recorded. Using Hb < 12 g/dL as the determination of anaemia, 55.1% Boarding and 57.8% Day students had anaemia. : Low dietary diversity in Boarding students highlighted inadequate nutrition provided by school meals. Strategies to increase meal diversity should be prioritised by stakeholders in Ghana's educational sector.
贫血是全球最常见的营养不良形式之一，大多数贫血病例与微量营养素缺乏有关。膳食多样性得分（DDS）较高的饮食通常营养丰富，可以积极影响微量营养素状况，包括血红蛋白（Hb）浓度的改善。本研究旨在确定 DDS 及其与加纳寄宿和走读青少年高中生 Hb 浓度的关系。
采用半结构式和三份 24 小时膳食回忆法分别获取参与者的人口统计学和饮食摄入数据。使用经过验证的便携式血红蛋白计评估 Hb 浓度。使用女性最低膳食多样性（MDD-W）方法评估 DDS。
寄宿和走读学生的 DDS 存在显著差异。只有 22%的寄宿学生有足够的饮食多样性，而 64%的走读学生有足够的饮食多样性。与走读学生相比，寄宿学生食用坚果和种子、乳制品、肉类食品、鸡蛋、富含维生素 A 的蔬菜和水果、其他蔬菜和其他水果的比例明显较小（<0.05，全部）。寄宿学生（11.9 ± 1.1 g/dL）和走读学生（11.9 ± 1.1 g/dL）的平均（±SD）Hb 浓度之间没有显著差异（=0.925）。此外，平均 DDS 和 Hb 浓度之间没有显著相关性（=0.997）。使用 Hb<12 g/dL 作为贫血的判定标准，55.1%的寄宿学生和 57.8%的走读学生患有贫血。
寄宿学生的饮食多样性低，表明学校提供的膳食营养不足。加纳教育部门的利益相关者应优先考虑增加膳食多样性的策略。
