Vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia in western Yemen.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of xerophthalmia and the extent of vitamin A deficiency in western Yemen.


METHODS
A stratified cluster sample of children aged 1-5 years with clinical examination for signs of xerophthalmia as well as blood serum survey.


METHODS
The 18 districts of western Yemen, of which 10 clusters were chosen at random.


METHODS
All children aged 1-5 years resident in the cluster sites (n = 2438).


METHODS
Clinical signs of xerophthalmia, a history of night blindness, serum retinol levels in a random sample of clinically normal children (n =338) in addition to all children with xerophthalmia.


RESULTS
Night blindness was found in 0.5% of the children, Bitot's spots in 1.7%, corneal ulceration in 0.04% and corneal scars in 0.04% Of the subsample, 7.2% (95% confidence interval [c.i.] 4.4-10.0%) had serum retinol values below 10 micrograms/dl; 63.0% (95% c.i. 57.6- 68.4%) had values below 20 micrograms/dl.


CONCLUSIONS
Xerophthalmia and vitamin A deficiency are public health problems in western Yemen.
Rosen
D S
DS
Helen Keller International, New York, USA.
al Sharif
Z
Z
Bashir
M
M
al Shabooti
A
A
Pizzarello
L D
LD
D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology