title: Ethiopian pre-school children consuming a predominantly unrefined plant-based diet have low prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia.
abstract: Children from low-income countries consuming predominantly plant-based diets but little animal products are considered to be at risk of Fe deficiency. The present study determined the Fe status of children from resource-limited rural households.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  
  Twenty six kebeles (the smallest administrative unit) from six zones of the Amhara region, Ethiopia.
  
  
  
  Children aged 54-60 months (n 628).
  
  
  
  Grain, roots or tubers were the main dietary components consumed by 100 % of the study participants, followed by pulses, legumes or nuts (66·6 %). Consumption of fruit and vegetables (19·3 %) and meat, poultry and fish (2·2 %) was low. Children had a mean dietary diversity score of 2·1 (sd 0·8). Most children (74·8 %, n 470) were in the lowest dietary diversity group (1-2 food groups). Rate of any morbidity in the preceding 14 d was 22·9 % (n 114). Infection or inflammation (α1-acid glycoprotein >1·2 g/l) was present in 30·2 % (n 184) of children. Children had a high rate of stunting (43·2 %). Of the total sample, 13·6 % (n 82) of children were anaemic, 9·1 % (n 57) were Fe deficient and 5·3 % (n 32) had Fe-deficiency anaemia. Fe-deficiency erythropoiesis was present in 14·2 % (n 60) of children.
  
  
  
  Despite consuming a predominantly plant-based diet and little animal-source foods, there was a low prevalence of Fe-deficiency anaemia. This illustrates that dietary patterns can be inharmonious with Fe biochemical status; thus, Fe-related interventions require biochemical screening.
authors.affiliation: 1Center for Food Science and Nutrition,Addis Ababa University,PO Box 1176,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Dawd
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gashu
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Nutritional Sciences,Oklahoma State University,Stillwater, OK,USA.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Stoecker
authors.affiliation: 3Micronutrient Initiative Africa,Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adish
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Food Science and Technology,University of Botswana,Botswana College of Agriculture,Gaborone,Botswana.
authors.forename: Gulelat D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Haki
authors.affiliation: 5School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition,McGill University,Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC,Canada.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bougma
authors.affiliation: 5School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition,McGill University,Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC,Canada.
authors.forename: Grace S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Marquis
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Anaemia; Animal-source foods; Children; Iron deficiency; Plant-based diets