A study to test a diet questionnaire to identify children with anaemia

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A study to test a brief diet questionnaire as a tool to identify children aged 12-24 months likely to be iron deficient when tested by hemocue

  • IRAS ID

    111261

  • Contact name

    Eleanor M McGee

  • Contact email

    eleanor.mcgee@bhamcommunity.nhs.uk

  • Research summary

    The aims of this study are:\n-to develop a short, easy-to-administer diet questionnaire with a scoring system, and administer it to 200 infants aged around 12 months at the routine health visitor check, and to test the infants for anaemia using a hemocue (a small device used to prick the finger to obtain a small blood sample and test haemoglobin level)\n-to validate the diet questionnaire by correlating anaemia as shown by hemocue\n(haemoglobin level<11g/dl) with poor iron status iron, as indicated by an arbitrary cut off on the questionnaire score\n-to obtain views of parents on the advice and support they receive on introduction of solid foods to their infants, and how acceptable they find hemocue testing\nAt least 40 children from each of the following ethnic groups will be included: Asian, African-Caribbean, African and white British\nThe outcome will be the development of an anaemia screening and treatment policy, based on the routine use of the validated questionnaire at child health checks. Children identified as at risk of anaemia by the questionnaire score will be tested using the hemocue, and treated if indicated.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    13/WM/0415

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 Nov 2013

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion