Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38862227›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2024

Weekly iron-folic acid supplementation and its impact on children and adolescents iron status, mental health and school performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Shemsu Kedir, Kalkidan Hassen, Bekri Mohammed, Beyene Wondafrash Ademe

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Factors influencing late antenatal booking in Tshwane District: Pregnant women's perceptions.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025
    Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Shemsu KedirDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia shemsukedir6@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-0565-7610
Kalkidan HassenDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Bekri MohammedDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Beyene Wondafrash AdemeDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively assess the impact of weekly iron-folic acid supplementation (WIFAS) on the nutrition, health and educational outcomes of children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

designA systematic review and meta-analysis was used. DATA SOURCES: Five databases, namely, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar, were systematically searched for relevant articles up to 23 August 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: It was focused on randomised controlled trials involving children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, exploring the effects of iron supplementation on various outcomes, such as serum ferritin and haemoglobin levels, anaemia, mental health and school performance. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools were used for quality assessment, with two independent reviewers thoroughly evaluating each paper. Using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, we evaluated the certainty of evidence such as the risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision and publication bias.

resultsA systematic review of 10 articles revealed that WIFAS significantly increased serum ferritin levels in adolescent girls (Hedge's g=0.53, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.78; heterogeneity I

conclusionWIFAS proved effective in enhancing serum ferritin and haemoglobin concentrations and lowering the risk of anaemia in school-aged children and adolescents compared with a placebo. Similarly, there are not enough studies to examine the effects of WIFAS on school performance. However, information regarding mental health problems, mortality and potential side effects remains insufficient. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023397898.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsFolic AcidIronMental HealthAdolescentAfrica South of the SaharaAnemia, Iron-DeficiencyChildFemaleFerritinsHemoglobinsHumansNutritional StatusRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicFerritinsFolic AcidHemoglobinsIronAdolescentAnaemiaMENTAL HEALTHNUTRITION & DIETETICSPAEDIATRICSPublic health

Identifiers

PMID38862227
PMCPMC11168171

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.