Effects of the consumption of "multimixture" on nutritional status: a community trial involving children from a slum district on the outskirts of Maceió, State of Alagoas, Brazil

Objectives: to investigate the impact of the consumption of "multimixture" (a bran-based cereal mixture) on the nutritional status of children at risk of malnutrition. Methods: a community trial involving children (6 to 60 months) from a slum area in the city of Maceio, State of Alagoas, Brazil, randomly assigned to the Control Group (n=60) or to the "multimixture" Group (n=48). The supplement consisted of two tablespoons of "multimixture" per day. Anthropometric measurements were taken before and after the experimental phase (10 months). The incidence of health problems was investigated on a biweekly basis. Food consumption was assessed by way of 24 hour dietary recall (on three alternate days). Hemoglobin (HemoCue®) and serum retinol (HPLC) were determined at the end of the experimental phase. The resulting measurements for the two groups were compared using parametric or non-parametric statistics in according with the situation. Differences were considerate as significative statistically when p 0.05) between the results obtained from anthropometric measurements and dietary intake, between levels of hemoglobin and serum retinol or in the incidence of diarrhea, vomiting or fever. However, there was a higher incidence of respiratory infections among the children in the Control Group (24.3% vs.16.9%; OR=1.59; 95%CI = 1.13-2.24; p<0.01). Conclusions: the "multimixture" food supplement did not alter the anthropometric profile or the frequency of anemia or hypervitaminosis A among the children.