Vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia among school-aged children in Southeastern Asia.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine provisional estimates of the extent of vitamin A (VA) deficiency and xerophthalmia among school-aged children.

DESIGN:

Literature search of published, unpublished and website-based population survey and study reports, with country-specific imputation of prevalence rates and numbers of children affected by: (1) VA deficiency based on measured or imputed distributions of serum retinol concentration < 0.70 micromol/l (equivalent to < 20 microg/dl) and (2) xerophthalmia, by country.

SETTING:

Countries within the WHO South-East Asian Region.

SUBJECTS:

The target group for estimation was children 5-15 y of age.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

RESULTS:

The estimated prevalence of VA deficiency is 23.4%, suggesting that there are approximately 83 million VA-deficient school-aged children in the region, of whom 10.9% (9 million, at an overall prevalence of 2.6%) have mild xerophthalmia (night blindness or Bitot's spot). Potentially blinding corneal xerophthalmia appears to be negligible at this age.

CONCLUSIONS:

VA deficiency, including mild xerophthalmia, appears to affect large numbers of school-aged children in South-East Asia. However, nationally representative data on the prevalence, risk factors and health consequences of VA deficiency among school-aged children are lacking within the region and globally, representing a future public health research priority.

• Authors: V Singh, K P West Jr
• Journal: European journal of clinical nutrition (Eur J Clin Nutr) Vol. 58 Issue 10 Pg. 1342-9 (Oct 2004) ISSN: 0954-3007 [Print] England
• PMID: 15054414 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Vitamin A

Topics

• Adolescent
• Asia, Southeastern (epidemiology)
• Child
• Child Nutrition Disorders (blood, epidemiology)
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Nutrition Surveys
• Population Surveillance
• Prevalence
• Public Health
• Risk Factors
• Vitamin A (blood)
• Vitamin A Deficiency (blood, epidemiology)
• Xerophthalmia (blood, epidemiology)