Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;55(4):358-67. doi: 10.1159/000258632. Epub 2009 Nov 13.
This survey aimed to identify nutritional deficits affecting Bedouin children as they enter school age and illustrate their families' dietary consumption patterns.
560 healthy schoolchildren aged 5.5-10 years from 8 Badia hamlets were nutritionally investigated by applying anthropometric, laboratory and dietary assessment methods.
Mean and median serum retinol concentrations (SRCs) were 228 and 218 microg/l, respectively. Mean prevalence of nutritional deficits among children were stunting (23.4%), anemia (57.5%), vitamin A deficiency (29.5%), iron deficiency (28.4%), and vitamin E deficiency (17.1%). Including those with borderline values, the proportion of children vulnerable to VAD threats reached 90%. Compared to normal subjects, anemic children had lower SRC (207 vs. 233 microg/l; p < 0.001) and ferritin (9.6 vs. 11.3 microg/l; p < 0.001) levels; stunted children had lower serum vitamin E (6.5 vs. 7.3 mg/l; p < 0.001) and ferritin (10.3 vs. 11.1 microg/l; p < 0.001) levels; vitamin A-deficient children had lower hemoglobin (11.3 vs. 11.8 g/dl; p < 0.001), serum vitamin E (6.69 vs. 7.23 mg/l; p < 0.01), and serum ferritin (10.4 vs. 11.2 microg/l; p < 0.001) levels, and vitamin E-deficient subjects had lower SRC levels (206 vs. 232 microg/l; p < 0.001). Except for hemoglobin status, no significant differences between genders were detected. SRC correlated strongly with hemoglobin, vitamin E, BMI and serum ferritin. The frequency of consumption of meat and fats seemed to be among the determinants of SRC and hemoglobin values.
Urbanization has brought Bedouins towards poverty and undernutrition, with older children suffering more severe consequences in comparison with preschool-age children. This multifaceted nutritional problem requires implementation of multicomponent interventions.
本研究旨在确定进入学龄期的贝都因儿童的营养缺陷，并阐明其家庭的饮食消费模式。
对 8 个贝都因村庄的 560 名 5.5-10 岁健康在校儿童进行营养调查，采用人体测量学、实验室和饮食评估方法。
平均和中位数血清视黄醇浓度（SRC）分别为 228 和 218µg/L。儿童营养缺陷的发生率分别为生长迟缓（23.4%）、贫血（57.5%）、维生素 A 缺乏（29.5%）、缺铁（28.4%）和维生素 E 缺乏（17.1%）。包括边缘值儿童在内，易受维生素 A 缺乏威胁的儿童比例达到 90%。与正常儿童相比，贫血儿童的 SRC（207 vs. 233µg/L；p<0.001）和铁蛋白（9.6 vs. 11.3µg/L；p<0.001）水平较低；生长迟缓儿童的血清维生素 E（6.5 vs. 7.3mg/L；p<0.001）和铁蛋白（10.3 vs. 11.1µg/L；p<0.001）水平较低；维生素 A 缺乏儿童的血红蛋白（11.3 vs. 11.8g/dL；p<0.001）、血清维生素 E（6.69 vs. 7.23mg/L；p<0.01）和血清铁蛋白（10.4 vs. 11.2µg/L；p<0.001）水平较低，维生素 E 缺乏儿童的 SRC 水平（206 vs. 232µg/L；p<0.001）较低。除血红蛋白外，不同性别之间无显著差异。SRC 与血红蛋白、维生素 E、BMI 和血清铁蛋白密切相关。肉类和脂肪的消费频率似乎是 SRC 和血红蛋白值的决定因素之一。
城市化使贝都因人陷入贫困和营养不良，与学龄前儿童相比，年龄较大的儿童受到的影响更为严重。这种多方面的营养问题需要实施多组分干预措施。
