Demissie Tsegaye, Ali Ahmed, Mekonnen Yared, Haider Jemal, Umeta Melaku
Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, PO Box 5654, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2009 Oct;27(5):666-73. doi: 10.3329/jhpn.v27i5.3778.
The study was conducted to determine the demographic and health-related risk factors of subclinical vitamin A deficiency in Ethiopia. Blood samples were collected from 996 children in 210 clusters across the nation for analysis of serum retinol. Interviews were conducted with the respective mothers of the 996 children on presumed risk factors of vitamin A deficiency. A higher subclinical vitamin A deficiency was associated with: not receiving vitamin A supplement over the year, having been ill during the two weeks preceding the survey, no or incomplete vaccination, belonging to a mother with high parity, and low levels of awareness of vitamin A. Moreover, being from Muslim household was strongly associated with higher levels of subclinical vitamin A deficiency. Among the risk factors identified, low levels of vaccination, high parity, and low levels of maternal awareness of vitamin A contributed to higher risks of vitamin A deficiency among Muslim children. The findings underscore the need for creation of strengthened awareness of family planning and importance of vitamin A, promotion of vaccination and child health, intensification of vitamin A supplementation, and in-depth investigation on factors contributing to increased vulnerability of Muslim children.
开展该研究是为了确定埃塞俄比亚亚临床维生素A缺乏症的人口统计学和健康相关风险因素。从全国210个群组的996名儿童中采集血样，用于分析血清视黄醇。对这996名儿童的各自母亲就维生素A缺乏症的假定风险因素进行了访谈。较高的亚临床维生素A缺乏症与以下因素相关：一年中未接受维生素A补充剂、在调查前两周内生病、未接种或未完全接种疫苗、母亲多胎生育以及对维生素A的认知水平较低。此外，来自穆斯林家庭与较高水平的亚临床维生素A缺乏症密切相关。在确定的风险因素中，疫苗接种率低、多胎生育以及母亲对维生素A的认知水平低导致穆斯林儿童维生素A缺乏症的风险更高。研究结果强调，有必要加强对计划生育和维生素A重要性的认识，促进疫苗接种和儿童健康，强化维生素A补充，并深入调查导致穆斯林儿童易感性增加的因素。
