title: Assessment of vitamin A deficiency in Republic of Malawi by impression cytology method.
abstract: During a countrywide survey, we assessed the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency by impression cytology method with transfer in a randomized sample of 650 representative of the children's population of the Republic of Malawi. A vitamin A deficiency was indicated by the results of the ophthalmic examination (XN = 1,4%; X2 = 0,2%) and the ICT test (22% with deficient cytology). Results of ICT were related to age. Vitamin A deficiency seems to be a public health problem in the Republic of Malawi.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Section, Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Escoute
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chirambo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luzeau
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Amedée-Manesme
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology