A Practical Guide to Adjust Micronutrient Biomarkers for Inflammation Using the BRINDA Method

Area of Science:

• Nutritional science
• Biostatistics
• Public health

Background:

• The Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) group developed methods to adjust micronutrient biomarkers for inflammation.
• The BRINDA inflammation adjustment method uses regression correction, offering insights into micronutrient research, policy, and programming.
• Challenges exist in applying BRINDA methods due to varying guidance and the need for statistical programming, potentially delaying critical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive summary of the BRINDA method for adjusting multiple micronutrient biomarkers for inflammation.
• To evaluate the inclusion of malaria as a binary variable in the BRINDA inflammation adjustment method.
• To present standardized and user-friendly BRINDA adjustment R package and SAS macro for streamlined analyses.

Main Methods:

• The study summarizes the BRINDA inflammation adjustment approach.
• It evaluates the impact of including malaria as a binary variable.
• Standardized R package and SAS macro are developed for user-friendly application.

Main Results:

• The paper provides a consolidated overview of the BRINDA method.
• Evaluation of malaria's role in inflammation adjustment is presented.
• User-friendly R and SAS tools are introduced to facilitate data analysis.

Conclusions:

• This paper serves as a practical guidebook for the BRINDA inflammation adjustment approach.
• The developed R package and SAS macro will streamline analyses for researchers and practitioners.
• Improved accessibility to adjusted micronutrient data will support timely public health decisions.