Impact of nutrition education and counselling on nutritional status and anaemia among early adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Adolescent unhealthy dietary choices are largely rooted in low nutrition knowledge. The study assessed the impact of nutrition education and counselling on nutritional status and anaemia among early adolescents. Methodology: One hundred and thirty-seven adolescents aged 10-14 years were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial conducted at Asante-Akim South Municipality of Ghana. Data on weight, height, ferritin, C reactive protein (crp), dietary iron, and vitamin C were collected at pre-and post-intervention. BMI-for-age was computed with WHO Anthro Plus. Ferritin and crp were analysed with Human ELISA test kit. Multiple past 24h recall was used to collect data on dietary iron and vitamin C intake. Nutrition education and counselling in the intervention group lasted for six months. Data was analysed using descriptive chi-square test, binary logistics regression, and t.test. Results: One hundred participants completed the study (intervention group: 50 and control group: 50). At end of the study, no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed between the study groups in terms of underweight, haemoglobin, ferritin, and dietary iron intake except for vitamin C intake. However, underweight, haemoglobin, dietary iron, and vitamin C intake mean values increased in all groups except for ferritin. Within the study groups, nutritional parameters were statistically significant (p < 0.05) at pre-and post-intervention except for ferritin levels in the intervention group. The prevalence of anaemia, low ferritin levels, inadequate dietary iron, and vitamin C intake dropped in all groups but greatly reduced in the intervention group. Conclusion: Nutrition education improved dietary iron and vitamin C intake and reduced the prevalence of anaemia in the intervention group.