Effectiveness Evaluation of the Food Fortification Program of Costa Rica: Impact on Anemia Prevalence and Hemoglobin Concentrations in Women and Children

An impact evaluation of Costa Rica’s national food fortification program was conducted using a one-group pretest-posttest design with data from national surveys and sentinel sites. Reductions in anemia were found among women and children, along with improvements in iron status among children. The authors present a plausible impact pathway linking these benefits to Costa Rica’s mass fortification.