title: Who has a high vitamin A intake from plant foods, but a low serum retinol concentration? Data from women in Indonesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the relationship between vitamin A intake, from plant and animal foods, and vitamin A status is the same throughout a population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of cross-sectional data on vitamin A intake, vitamin A status, physiological condition and socio-economic status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Central Java, Indonesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with a child < or =24 months old (n = 600).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean serum retinol concentration of women with animal vitamin A intake below or above the median (50 RE/d) was 1.28 and 1.38 micromol/L, respectively (P<0.05). For those with intake above the median the distribution curve for serum retinol concentration was shifted towards the right, to higher concentrations. Serum retinol concentration of women with plant vitamin A intake below or above the median (279 RE/d) was 1.30 and 1.36 micromol/L, respectively (P<0.05). Again, the distribution curve for serum retinol was shifted towards higher concentrations for women with an intake above the median, except for the subgroup of 25% with the lowest serum retinol concentration (<1.10 micromol/L). These women did not seem to benefit from their relatively high vegetable intake. They also had the lowest socio-economic status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subgroup that was most in need of vitamin A could not obtain it from plant foods. It may well be that, because of their lower socio-economic status, their hygiene conditions were worse and therefore host-related factors that affect carotene bioavailability, such as parasitic infestation, were less favourable in this group. They depended on supplements and, if affordable, on animal foods, fruits and/or fortified products.
authors.affiliation: Helen Keller International, Jakarta, Indonesia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Pee
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tjiong
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.lastname: Satoto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gorstein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shrimpton
authors.lastname: Muhilal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D007223:Infant; D011939:Mental Recall; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables / Q000378:metabolism*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014801:Vitamin A