Evidence of the effectiveness of flour fortification programs on iron status and anemia: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Context

More than 80 countries fortify flour, yet the public health impact of this intervention on iron and anemia outcomes has not been reviewed.

Objective

The objective of this systematic review was to review published and gray literature pertaining to the impact of flour fortification on iron and anemia.

Data sources

A systematic review was conducted by searching 17 databases and appealing for unpublished reports, yielding 1881 documents.

Study selection

Only studies of government-supported, widely implemented fortification programs in which anemia or iron status was measured prior to and ≥12 months after initiation of fortification were included.

Data extraction

Details about the design, coverage, compliance with national standards, and evaluation (e

SUBMITTER: Pachon H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9052958 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature