title: Nutritional status of young children with inherited blood disorders in western Kenya.
abstract: To determine the association between a range of inherited blood disorders and indicators of poor nutrition, we analyzed data from a population-based, cross-sectional survey of 882 children 6-35 months of age in western Kenya. Of children with valid measurements, 71.7% were anemic (hemoglobin < 11 g/dL), 19.1% had ferritin levels < 12 μg/L, and 30.9% had retinol binding protein (RBP) levels < 0.7 μmol/L. Unadjusted analyses showed that compared with normal children, homozygous α(+)-thalassemia individuals had a higher prevalence of anemia (82.3% versus 66.8%, P = 0.001), but a lower prevalence of low RBP (20.5% versus 31.4%, P = 0.024). In multivariable analysis, homozygous α(+)-thalassemia remained associated with anemia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.8, P = 0.004) but not with low RBP (aOR = 0.6, P = 0.065). Among young Kenyan children, α(+)-thalassemia is associated with anemia, whereas G6PD deficiency, haptoglobin 2-2, and HbS are not; none of these blood disorders are associated with iron deficiency, vitamin A deficiency, or poor growth.
authors.forename: Becky L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Laird J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ruth
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Parminder S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Suchdev
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins