Coeliac disease: a potentially treatable health problem of Saharawi refugee children

objective: to characterize the clinical and nutritional impact of coeliac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy) among saharawi children living as refugees in algeria. methods: a total of 65 saharawi children with coeliac disease were compared with 71 age-matched non-coeliac controls. for each participant, the clinical history was taken and a clinical examination, non-quantitative 24-hour dietary recall, anthropometric and skinfold measurements, bioelectric impedance analysis (bia) of body composition, and venous blood sampling for haemoglobin determination were performed. results: gluten-containing food, especially bread, was the staple diet of saharawi children. abdominal pain and distension were significantly commoner among children with coeliac disease than in controls ( p < 0.05). the mean height-for-age was significantly lower in such children than in controls (-2.5 + 1.4 units vs -1.8 + 1.3 units, respectively, p < 0.01). no significant differences were found for either skinfold or bia measurements. haemoglobin values tended to be lower in children with coeliac disease than in controls. conclusions: coeliac disease has a negative effect on the health status of saharawi refugee children. because of the high prevalence of the condition in the saharawi, a specific programme for treating all affected individuals should be established. further studies are required to quantify the impact of coeliac disease in other areas of the developing world.