Table 4.

Cognitive outcomes (in raw scores) of the school children before and after four months of the intervention^*

Outcome	Placebo (n = 119)	Fortified biscuits (n = 114)	Albendazole (n = 118)	Fortified biscuits plus albendazole (n = 118)	Estimated effect sizes† (95% CI), Fortified biscuits plus albendazole		P for interaction
Raven's Colored Matrices
All children
Baseline	16.4 ± 5.6	16.5 ± 5.0	16.4 ± 5.3	16.5 ± 4.9	0.86	−0.18	0.486
End point	19.2 ± 5.8	20.1 ± 4.9	19.2 ± 5.4	19.4 ± 5.0	0.06–1.7	−0.97 to 0.62
Anemic children‡
Baseline	14.9 ± 5.1	15.6 ± 3.8	15.3 ± 5.6	15.4 ± 4.3	1.86§	0.10	0.971
End point	18.0 ± 5.1	20.6 ± 4.4	18.2 ± 5.8	20.8 ± 4.2	0.46–3.3	−1.29 to 1.50
Digit span forward
Baseline	7.1 ± 1.4	6.9 ± 1.2	6.9 ± 1.5	7.1 ± 1.2	0.34¶	0.07	0.310
End point	7.1 ± 1.4	7.5 ± 1.1	7.1 ± 1.3	7.4 ± 1.1	0.11–0.56	−0.15 to 0.30
Digit span backward
Baseline	2.9 ± 0.9	2.9 ± 1.0	2.8 ± 1.0	2.9 ± 0.8	−0.07	−0.03	0.701
End point	3.1 ± 0.8	3.1 ± 0.9	3.1 ± 0.8	3.0 ± 0.9	−0.25 to 0.10	−0.21 to 0.14
Block design
Baseline	11.8 ± 8.5	12.5 ± 8.7	11.1 ± 8.4	12.8 ± 7.4	−1.12	0.42	0.726
End point	16.6 ± 9.0	16.5 ± 8.6	16.9 ± 9.6	17.0 ± 9.1	−2.48 to 0.23	−0.94 to 1.77
Coding
Baseline	31.9 ± 10.0	30.8 ± 8.4	32.2 ± 9.4	30.8 ± 8.6	0.50	0.54	0.603
End point	39.6 ± 8.0	39.5 ± 7.0	39.6 ± 7.8	39.5 ± 8.5	−0.95 to 1.94	−0. 90 to 1.99

^*Values are mean ± SD. Placebo = placebo de-worming and non-fortified biscuits; CI = confidence interval. There were no significant differences between groups at baseline.

^†Adjusted for age, family socioeconomic status, mother's education, and baseline outcome values,

^‡Sample sizes for placebo, fortified biscuits, albendazole, and fortified biscuits plus albendazole were 29, 30, 28, and 31, respectively.

^§P < 0.05, by analysis of covariance.

^¶P < 0.01, by analysis of covariance.