Association of Vitamin A Status With Under-Five Mortality in India
Tinku Thomas1, Harshpal S Sachdev2, Santu Ghosh1
1Department of Biostatistics, St John's Medical College, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Objective:
To re-estimate the survival benefit from Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) in India using meta-analysis and to correlate mortality and vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children aged 6 month to 5 year.
Methods:
Pooled risk ratio (fixed effects model) for mortality reduction with VAS was calculated from available Indian studies. Computed mortality rates in 6 months to 5 years children in Indian states were regressed on VAD prevalence estimates of the states.
Results:
There was no reduction in risk of all-cause mortality with VAS (RR=0.96; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.03). When regressing mortality on VAD in high or low VAD prevalence states, the regression coefficients were discordant.
Conclusion:
No survival benefit was observed for VAS in India from the available literature. The targeting of VAS programs should be given serious consideration.
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