title: Vitamin A nutritional status of rural community of Khol block in Haryana, North India. A collaborative study.
abstract: A nutritional and diet survey was carried out in 2,192 persons belonging to all age groups in a rural community. Vitamin A consumption was less than the recommended daily allowance in persons of all age groups. Bitot's spots and night blindness were detected in 7.1% and 7.2% of the population, respectively. Ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency were more frequently observed in age groups above 5 years as compared to the preschool children. There was no association of vitamin A deficiency with different grades of protein-calorie malnutrition in preschool children. Kerătomalacia was extremely rare and was observed only in one child. The study suggests that the rural area studied was a high prevalence zone for vitamin A deficiency which did not have its serious consequences due to relatively adequate protein-calorie nutritional status of the population.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012424:Rural Population; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*