Comparison of anthropometry, iron status and prevalence of anaemia in children with 1 year of suspension of the MDM, IFA supplementation and bi-annual deworming
| Parameters | February 2020 (N=290) | February 2021 (N=290) | P value |
| Age (y)* | 8.4±1.4 | 9.7±1.4 | <0.0001 |
| Weight (Kg)* | 20.8±3.6 | 24.4±5.2 | <0.0001 |
| Height (cm)* | 121.9±8.3 | 129.4±8.5 | <0.0001 |
| BMI for age Z-score* | −1.52±0.86 | −1.48±1.06 | 0.18 |
| Haemoglobin (g/dL)* | 12.1±1.1 | 11.6±1.1 | <0.0001 |
| Serum ferritin (ng/mL)ठ| 15.1 (10.4, 20.3) | 14.8 (9.80, 23.4) | 0.037 |
| Anaemia (%)† | 62 (21.3%) | 115 (39.5%) | <0.0001 |
*Paired t-test.
†Mc-Nemar’s χ2 test.
‡Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test.
§Mean±SD; median (quartile 1, quartile 3).
BMI, body mass index; ID, iron deficiency, measured based on serum ferritin cut-off <15 ng/mL; IFA, iron folic acid; MDM, mid-day meal.