Zeitschrift für Ernährung und Lebensmittelwissenschaften
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Influence of Malnutrition on Biochemical Parameters of Primary School-Age Children in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of IMO State, Nigeria

Anozie AO, Agha NC, Nwachukwu NN and Ogbuji CA

The nutritional status of primary school pupils in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State was evaluated. Their vitamin A, total iron, total iron binding capacity, haemoglobin, serum albumin, and ferritin levels were determined using spectrophotometric method, anthropometric indices was also studied. The study subjects were selected by random sampling from four different Schools. A total of two hundred (200) pupils, from primary one to primary three. The characteristics of the pupils were tested using the student’s t-test. Correlation between variables was determined by way of Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) and the level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results obtained showed that there was significant difference between age and the nutritional status of primary school pupils of Ohaji/Egbema L.G.A; A significant difference between gender and the nutritional status of same pupils. Inadequate nutritional status of these pupils was found to be attributable to limited or low consumption of high quality food and socio-economic/sociodemographic status of their parents.