title: [Vitamin A deficiency in children of rural areas of the semi-arid region in Bahia].
abstract: The distribution and magnitude of vitamin A deficiency and dietary consumption of 161 children at 6 to 72 months of age in rural zones in Cansancao-Bahia-Brazil were evaluated. The serum retinol levels were measured by the spectrophotometric method (Bassey-Lowry modified by Araujo and Flores). The serum retinol average was found to be distributed homogeneously throughout the different age groups. Inadequate serum retinol levels (<20,0 mu g/dl) were detected in 44.7% of the children, which characterized the deficiency as constituting a public health problem. The serum retinol levels showed no statistically significant association as between the sex and age of the children; however the children of less than 24 months showed a higher prevalence of inadequate serum retinol levels. The main available source of vitamin A for these children was represented by carotenoids, especially beta-carotene. Foods regarded as being rich in vitamin A were consumed by all age groups. The greatest diversification of consumption of foodstuffs with moderate and low vitamin A content was observed in the group of children of from 24 to 72 months of age, through this was no guarantee of adequate serum retinol levels in this group however.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Nutricao da Universidade Federal da Bahia-Brasil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Silva Prado
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nazare
authors.forename: I F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Conceicao
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004034:Diet Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011939:Mental Recall; D012016:Reference Values; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
vernacular_title: Hipovitaminose A em criancas de areas rurais do semi-árido baiano.