Schaumberg D A, Linehan M, Hawley G, O'Connor J, Dreyfuss M, Semba R D
Center for Ophthalmic Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Public Health. 1995 Sep;109(5):311-7. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(95)80002-6.
Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of morbidity, mortality and blindness among children. Although vitamin A deficiency is known to affect many children in developing countries, the magnitude of the problem in the South Pacific region is unclear.
Five cross-sectional surveys for vitamin A deficiency were conducted between 1989 and 1992 in the Republic of Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Republic of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.
In total, 10,673 children between the ages of 6 and 72 months were examined for clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency (nightblindness and xerophthalmia). The prevalence of xerophthalmia was 14.76% in the Republic of Kiribati, 1.55% in Solomon Islands, 0.59% in the Cook Islands, 0.28% in Tuvalu, and 0.11% in Vanuatu. The most common clinical findings were Bitot's spots followed by nightblindness. Xerophthalmia were more common among boys (Kiribati P < 0.001, Solomon Islands P = 0.03) and tended to occur in older preschool children (P < 0.0001).
These studies suggest that vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in the Republic of Kiribati and Solomon Islands.
维生素A缺乏是儿童发病、死亡和失明的主要原因。虽然已知维生素A缺乏影响发展中国家的许多儿童，但南太平洋地区这一问题的严重程度尚不清楚。
1989年至1992年间，在基里巴斯共和国、图瓦卢、瓦努阿图共和国、所罗门群岛和库克群岛进行了五项关于维生素A缺乏的横断面调查。
总共对10673名6至72个月大的儿童进行了维生素A缺乏临床体征（夜盲和干眼病）检查。干眼病患病率在基里巴斯共和国为14.76%，在所罗门群岛为1.55%，在库克群岛为0.59%，在图瓦卢为0.28%，在瓦努阿图为0.11%。最常见的临床体征是毕脱斑，其次是夜盲。干眼病在男孩中更为常见（基里巴斯P<0.001，所罗门群岛P=0.03），并且倾向于发生在年龄较大的学龄前儿童中（P<0.0001）。
这些研究表明，维生素A缺乏在基里巴斯共和国和所罗门群岛是一个公共卫生问题。
