Iron deficiency anemia and the productivity of adult males in Indonesia
Basta, S.S.; Soekirman; Karyadi, D.; Scrimshaw, N.S.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32(4): 916-925
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9165 PMID: 107787 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/32.4.916Document Number: 468042
Adult male workers on a rubber plantation in West Java were studied to determine (1) whether anemia in low income workers affected physical endurance, their actual productivity, and their resistance to infection, and (2) whether iron supplementation could diminish iron deficiency anemia and raise work output in this population. Treatment with 100 mg of elemental iron for 60 days resulted in a significant improvement in hematological status of anemic individuals and in their Harvard Step Test Performance, work output, and morbidity. The cost of the iron supplementation was small compared with the economic benefits of increased productivity and lowered morbidity.