Prevalence of Clinical Vitamin A Deficiency and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 24-59 Months in Finote Selam Town, Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study, 2022

Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in developing countries including Ethiopia. Thus, its prevalence and associated factors in each locality is essential for tackling the problem since the cause differs across geographical areas and community to community. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency and associated factors among preschool children aged 24-59 months in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.

A Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from April 1 to April 30/2022. A total of 607 preschool children aged 24-59 months were enrolled through a simple random sampling technique. Data on clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency (xerophthalmia) were collected via detailed clinical histories and physical eye examinations conducted by trained ophthalmic personnel. No biochemical testing of serum retinol was performed. Data was collected through an interviewer-administered structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Bivariate (p-Value < 0.25) and multivariable (p-Value < 0.05) binary logistic regression analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association between the outcome and independent variables. The Multicollinearity test was checked using VIF < 10. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test was fitted (p = 0.79).

Five hundred and ninety-one children aged 24-59 months were included in the study, giving a response rate of 97.4%. The overall prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency among children aged 24-59 months was 3.7% [95%CI; (2.3-5.6], comprising night blindness (2.2%), Bitot's spots (1.35%), and superficial corneal ulceration (0.15%), while conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, and corneal scars exhibited zero prevalence. The odds of vitamin A deficiency were 4.89 [95% CI: 1.63-14.71] times higher among children whose mothers did not have postnatal care visits. Children aged 48-59 months were 5.43 (95% CI: 1.40, 21.0) times more likely to develop vitamin A deficiency compared with those children aged 24-35 months. Children who had been ill in the past 2 weeks were 5.85 [95%CI: 1.84, 18.59] times more likely to develop clinical vitamin A deficiency.

The prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency was relatively high as compared to the national figures, indicating a moderate public health problem according to World Health Organization criteria. Targeted, practical preventative interventions to minimize clinical vitamin A deficiency should be designed, and future large-scale biochemical studies evaluating serum retinol levels are recommended.