Aug 14, 2015 - Kannitha Kong4, Megan Parker5, Jacques Berger1 and Frank Tammo Wieringa1. 1Institute de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, ...
European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety 5(5): 769-770, 2015, Article no.EJNFS.2015.278 ISSN: 2347-5641
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Rice Fortified with Iron in School Meals Improves Cognitive Performance in Cambodian School Children Marion Fiorentino1,2*, Marlene Perignon1, Khov Kuong2,3, Kurt Burja4, Kannitha Kong4, Megan Parker5, Jacques Berger1 and Frank Tammo Wieringa1 1
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Institute de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France. Department of Fisheries Post-Harvest Technologies and Quality Control, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 3 Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark. 4 World Food Program, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 5 PATH, Seattle, USA. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/EJNFS/2015/21082 Special Editors: Lucie Bohac, Micronutrient Forum Secretariat, Canada. Klaus Kraemer, Director, Sight and Life, Basel, Switzerland. Chief Editor Prof. Hans Verhagen, Senior Scientific Advisor ‘Nutrition and Food Safety’, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O.Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
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Conference Abstract
Received 5 February 2015 st Accepted 1 March 2015 th Published 14 August 2015
ABSTRACT Objectives: Nutritional status can have a large impact on schoolperformance in children, with micronutrient deficiencies affecting cognitive performance and school attendance through increased morbidity. The FORISCA-UltraRice+NutriRice Trial in Cambodia tested impact of multimicronutrient fortified rice (MMFR) through the WFP school meal program (SMP) on micronutrient status, health and cognitive performance. Methods: The FORISCA-UltraRice+NutriRice study was a cluster-randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 9500 schoolchildren. Sixteen schools participating in WFP-SMP were randomly assigned to receive either MMFR including vitamin A (MMFR+VA), MMFR without VA (MMFR-VA) or unfortified rice (placebo) as breakfast distributed 6 days/week for 6 months. Four additional schools not participating in SMP were randomly selected as control group. Cognitive performance (Raven's Colored Matrices, Block Design and Picture completion), and vitamin A and iron status were determined in 25% of the schoolchildren. Results: Cognitive performance was significantly correlated to stunting (P
