The mean Hb was 10.9 g/dl (95% CI: 10.2–11.4) for intervention and 9.4 g/dl (95% 7.8–10.1) for control (p‐value = 0.002). The effect was also observed in the reduction of the prevalence of moderate and severe anemia in the intervention communities by 68.2% and 77.9%, respectively, and by 23.3% and 56.9%, respectively, in the control communities. This evidence concerns the gene GSTM1 and anemia (phenotype).