A clinical and cytological study of vitamin A deficiency in Kiribati.
Vitamin A status was assessed clinically and by conjunctival impression cytology in a selected group under seven years of age in the Republic of Kiribati. A total of 230 children were studied. Of 185 with readable histology, 14.6% were clinically and histologically abnormal; 19.5% were clinically abnormal but histologically normal; and 15.7% were clinically normal and histologically abnormal. The remainder (50.3%) were clinically and histologically normal. There was a significant correlation between clinical disease and histology (P < 0.001). The prevalence of the disease in males was 45.8% and 26.3% in females. The risk of deficiency appeared to increase with advancing age. There was no significant difference between the two villages studied.
Danks
J
J
Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales.
Kaufman
D
D
Rait
J
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008849:Micronesia; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000473:pathology