Diet-induced changes in iron and n-3 fatty acid status and associations with cognitive performance in 8–11-year-old Danish children: secondary analyses of the Optimal Well-Being, Development and Health for Danish Children through a Healthy New Nordic Diet School Meal Study

Fe and n-3 long-chain PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) have both been associated with cognition, but evidence remains inconclusive in well-nourished school-aged children. In the Optimal Well-Being, Development and Health for Danish Children through a Healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) School Meal Study, the 3-month in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of nutrition 2015-11, Vol.114 (10), p.1623-1637
Main Authors: Sørensen, Louise Bergmann, Damsgaard, Camilla Trab, Dalskov, Stine-Mathilde, Petersen, Rikke Agnete, Egelund, Niels, Dyssegaard, Camilla Brørup, Stark, Ken D., Andersen, Rikke, Tetens, Inge, Astrup, Arne, Michaelsen, Kim Fleisher, Lauritzen, Lotte
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Child
Children
Childrens health
Cognition - physiology
Cognitive ability
Cross-Over Studies
Denmark
Diet
Educational Measurement
Fatty acids
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - blood
Female
Ferritins - blood
Fishes
Food Services
Hemoglobins - analysis
Human and Clinical Nutrition
Humans
Intervention
Iron - metabolism
Iron, Dietary - administration & dosage
Lunch
Male
Mathematics
Nutrition
Nutritional Status
Principal components analysis
Reading
Schools
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Summary:Fe and n-3 long-chain PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) have both been associated with cognition, but evidence remains inconclusive in well-nourished school-aged children. In the Optimal Well-Being, Development and Health for Danish Children through a Healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) School Meal Study, the 3-month intervention increased reading performance, inattention, impulsivity and dietary intake of fish and Fe. This study investigated whether the intervention influenced n-3 LCPUFA and Fe status and, if so, explored how these changes correlated with the changes in cognitive performance. The study was a cluster-randomised cross-over trial comparing school meals with packed lunch (control). At baseline and after each treatment, we measured serum ferritin, whole-blood n-3 LCPUFA and Hb, and performance in reading, mathematics and d2-test of attention. Data were analysed using mixed models (n 726) and principal component analysis of test performances (n 644), which showed two main patterns: ‘school performance’ and ‘reading comprehension’. The latter indicated that children with good reading comprehension were also more inattentive and impulsive (i.e. higher d2-test error%). The intervention improved ‘school performance’ (P=0·015), ‘reading comprehension’ (P=0·043) and EPA+DHA status 0·21 (95 % CI 0·15, 0·27) w/w % (P
ISSN:0007-1145
1475-2662
DOI:10.1017/S0007114515003323