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Prevalence of sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency in 2-5-year-old children in Tehran

N Rostami1, A R Farsar, N Shiva

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Taleghani Hospital. rostaminahid@yahoo.com

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = La Revue De Sante De La Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit
|August 10, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency affects 23.6% of children aged 2-5 in Tehran, indicating a public health concern. This condition, identified via conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), was linked to child

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Vitamin A deficiency is a significant global health issue, particularly in children.
  • Conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) is a method for assessing vitamin A status.
  • Understanding vitamin A status in urban and rural populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To ascertain the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children aged 2-5 years in Tehran using CIC.
  • To identify demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with vitamin A deficiency in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 1257 children aged 2-5 years in Tehran.
  • Data collection included conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) for vitamin A status assessment.
  • Information on supplemental vitamin A intake, recent infections, and socioeconomic factors was recorded.

Main Results:

  • Sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency, indicated by abnormal CIC, was detected in 23.6% of the children.
  • This prevalence classifies the deficiency as a moderate public health problem in the studied population.
  • Abnormal CIC showed a statistically significant association with the child's sex and age.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of children aged 2-5 years in Tehran exhibit sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency.
  • The findings highlight the need for public health strategies to address vitamin A insufficiency in this age group.
  • Sex and age are identified as potential risk factors influencing vitamin A status in children.

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