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Published on: May 31, 2017
Serum vitamin A, D and E concentrations and status in children in Shaanxi Province, Northwest China
Ruiping Liu1, Yang Chen1, Haibin Wu1
1Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xi'an Children's Hospital, the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Insights
Vitamin A, D, and E deficiencies are highly prevalent in neonates in Shaanxi, China. Rural children and those in winter face increased risks, highlighting urgent public health concerns for these essential vitamins.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health Research
Background:
- Micronutrient deficiencies pose significant health challenges in pediatric populations.
- Vitamin A, D, and E are crucial for child development and immune function.
- Understanding regional variations in vitamin status is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine vitamin A, D, and E concentrations and status in children in Shaanxi Province.
- To identify risk factors associated with vitamin A, D, and E deficiency and insufficiency.
- To inform public health strategies for improving micronutrient status in Northwest China.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of serum vitamin A, D, and E levels in 25,806 hospitalized children (Jan-Dec 2019).
- Utilized logistic regression to assess associations between risk factors and vitamin deficiencies.
- Collected fasting venous blood samples for biochemical analysis.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of vitamin A, D, and E deficiency observed in neonates (15.1%, 81.5%, 44.9%).
- Rural children exhibited higher risks for deficiencies and insufficiency of vitamins A, D, and E.
- Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in winter (7.68 times) compared to summer.
Conclusions:
- Extremely high rates of vitamin A, D, and E deficiency in neonates in Shaanxi Province.
- Living in rural areas and during winter are significant risk factors for vitamin deficiencies in children.
- Findings underscore the need for targeted nutritional support and public health initiatives in the region.
Background And Objectives:
To investigate the vitamin A, D, E concentrations and status, and analyse the associated risk factors for vitamin A, D, E deficiency in children in Shaanxi Province, Northwest China.
Methods And Study Design:
The study included a total of 25,806 children admitted to hospitals in Shaanxi province from January 2019 to December 2019. Fasting venous blood samples were collected to measure serum vitamin A, D, E concentrations. A logistic regression model was performed to estimate the association between risk factors and vitamin A, D, E deficiency and insufficiency.
Results:
The mean serum vitamin A, D, E concentrations were 0.87±0.33 mol/L, 63.7±29.7 nmol/L and 20.8±6.98 mol/L, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin A, D, E deficiency was high in neonates (15.1%, 81.5% and 44.9%, respectively). Children living in rural areas were at higher risk for vitamin A, D, E deficiency and insufficiency. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the risk of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in children was 7.68 times (95% CI: 6.97-8.47) higher in winter than in summer. With adjustment for gender, season, and living regions, age correlated positively with serum vitamin A concentration (r=0.110, p<0.001), and negatively with vitamin D and E concentrations (r=-0.370 and r=-0.250 both p<0.001).
Conclusions:
This study showed that the prevalence of vitamin A, D and E deficiency was extremely high in neonates in Shaanxi province, northwest China. Children living in rural areas and winter had a high risk of vitamin A, D, E deficiency and insufficiency.
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