RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies are public health problems among school children. Food-to-food fortification may reduce the prevalence of these deficiencies. AIM: To assess the impact of cowpea (Vigna sinensis) fortified cookies on weight, height, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, serum vitamin A, and zinc status of primary school children aged 6-12 years. METHODS: A randomized single-blind controlled trial was conducted for 4 weeks among 17 pupils who were voluntarily recruited and randomly assigned to experimental (Group A) and control (Group B) groups. Group A was fed wheat cookies incorporated with cowpea in a ratio of 60:40, while Group B received 100% wheat cookies. Data were collected through questionnaire, anthropometry, and biochemical analysis. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics and t-test. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The study involved 17 school children out of which 10 (58.8%) were boys and 7 (41.2%) were girls; 12 (70.6%) were 10-12 years old and 4 (23.5%) were in lower primary (1-3). Group A had increases in hemoglobin (15.5%), serum ferritin (28.3%), serum zinc (38.9%), weight (3.0%), BMI (3.4%), and serum vitamin A (26.3%); only increases in hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and vitamin A attained significance (P < 0.05). Though there was increase in weight (6.1%), BMI (5.4%), hemoglobin (5.0%), serum ferritin (16.4%), zinc (20.8%), and vitamin A (17.5%) of Group B, these increases were not significant (P > 0.05). Group A had significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum ferritin (51.3 µg/L) than Group B (44.7 µg/L). CONCLUSION: Consumption of cowpea fortified cookies had significant positive effects on hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and vitamin A levels of school children and should be encouraged at household and industrial levels.