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Anemia among adolescent females is a major worldwide public health problem which should be given appropriate attention. Half of all anemic cases are caused by iron deficiency. In addition to anemia, poor nutrition is also a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. This study determined the prevalence of anemia and undernutrition among adolescent females in school. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 151 adolescent females in four basic schools in the Ahafo region of Ghana. The hemoglobin level and anthropometry measures of participants were taken to determine their anemic and nutritional status. The prevalence of anemia among adolescent females in school was 50.3%. Out of the 151 participants, 6.6%, 19.9%, and 23.8% were severely anemic, moderately anemic, or mildly anemic, respectively. Only 2% of the participants were underweight, but the rate of stunting was 26.5%. The notable high prevalence of anemia that was found among adolescent females was correlated with other health and wellness concerns. Anemia and under nutrition negatively affect academic performance, productivity, and general wellbeing of adolescents; therefore, effective measures should be put in place to correct and eradicate these nutritional problems.

Background. Dyslipidemia and hypertension are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Objective. The study sought to evaluate the effects of Borassus aethiopum-fortified bread on metabolic risk factors among CVD outpatients. Method. From August 2016 to April 2017, a pilot study using a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted by administering Borassus-fortified bread (150 g) and indistinguishable placebo (150 g white flour bread) daily to 122 CVD outpatients at 37 Military Hospital, Accra, Ghana, for 90 days. Body composition, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results. Following the intervention, the mean waist circumference (before: 98.3±14.6 cm, after: 95.9±15.8 cm, P=0.030), BMI (before: 31.4±6.9 kg/m2, after: 28.0±5.8 kg/m2, P=0.027), and visceral fat (before: 10.4±3.2, after: 9.9±3.0, P=0.013), as well as systolic (from 161.2±25.5 to 137.6±22.9and diastolic (from 99.2±13.6 to 85.1±10.8) blood pressure, were significantly reduced among the experimental group. Likewise, serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL, and HDL were significantly reduced within the experimental group before (TC: 5.9±1.1, LDL: 3.4±1.1, and HDL: 2.2±0.5) and after the intervention (TC: 4.9±1.1, LDL: 2.8±0.9, and HDL: 1.5±0.4) (TC: P=0.001, LDL: P=0.016, and HDL: P < 0.001, in mmol/L). These reductions were not observed in the controls. Conclusion. The Borassus-fortified bread significantly reduced blood pressure and improved lipid profile and other metabolic risk factors among the CVD outpatients studied. Therefore, its potential in the management of CVDs and other metabolic-related diseases should be looked at.