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Triple Outcome Evaluation of Red Teff Intervention for Infant Anemia, Environmental Health, and Economic Feasibility in Ethiopia: A Self-controlled Pre-post Study
Sponsor: Debre Markos University
Summary
Background. Childhood anemia affects more than 40% of under-five children in Ethiopia, where iron supplementation has achieved limited success and locally grounded, sustainable strategies are needed. Red teff (Eragrostis tef) is an iron-rich, gluten-free staple crop. We evaluated whether a red teff porridge improves hemoglobin in anemic infants and toddlers, and quantified its cost and potential environmental impact relative to animal-source iron-rich foods. Methods. In a self-controlled pre-post feeding trial in East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia, anemic children received 42 g home-prepared red teff porridge providing about 77 mg iron per day for 60 days. The primary outcome, the change in hemoglobin, was analyzed with covariate-adjusted models (n = 32 after excluding one implausible value), with covariates selected on biological grounds and additionally screened by cross-validated LASSO. The cost and greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGE) of red teff were compared with beef, lamb and egg per milligram of absorbed iron and per gram of protein, with substitution and sensitivity analyses.
Official title: The Epidemiology of Triple Burden of Malnutrition and Introducing Iron Dense Porridge to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Mother-Child Pairs in Ethiopia
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
6 Months - 59 Months
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
32
Start Date
2025-02-09
Completion Date
2025-04-19
Last Updated
2026-11-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Red teff (Eragrostis teff) porridge
In each household, mothers/caregivers were educated how they prepare porridge made from Red teff (Eragrostis teff). For single serving a total of 50 g of red teff flour was mixed with 50 mL of water in a small plastic bowl to form a slurry, which was then set aside. In a stainless-steel pan, 50 mL of distilled water was boiled. Once the water boiled the slurry was added to the pan and cooked for 15 minutes at 90°C with continuous stirring to prevent coagulation and sticking. After cooking, the porridge was removed from the heat and prepared for child consumption. According to the fact that non-heme iron has a bioavailability of 10-15%, and the recommended daily allowance of iron for children aged 1-3 years is 7 mg/day. In this study, children were provided with 42 g of porridge daily for 60 days.
Locations (1)
Debre Markos Health Center
Debre Mark’os, Amhara, Ethiopia