Dietary vitamin A intakes of preschool-age children in South India.
The vitamin A intake of children aged 1-3 y (n = 683) was assessed using a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire in a vitamin A intervention study in South India. Trained field workers interviewed mothers about their children's usual consumption of common sources of vitamin A and collected information on portion sizes using standard cups. Mothers were asked to state the number of months in a year during which specific seasonal foods were available. Information about current breast-feeding was also obtained. Vitamin A intakes from nonbreast milk sources were extremely low at all ages. The median intake of total vitamin A, beta-carotene and retinol was 121, 100 and 21 retinol equivalents (RE), respectively. Maternal education and socioeconomic status (SES) were positively associated with total vitamin A and retinol intakes. Girls had significantly lower intakes than boys even after adjusting for differences in age, maternal education, SES and breast-feeding status. Breast-feeding was common, but declined to 60% by 24 mo and to 15% by 36 mo. Vitamin A intakes from nonbreast milk sources increased with age only for currently breast-fed children, who tended to be of lower SES. After taking into account the potential contribution of breast milk by using published estimates, nonbreast-fed children met only 60% of the Indian recommended dietary allowance (RDA; 250 RE/d), whereas breast-fed children met approximately 90% of the RDA during y 2 of life.
Ramakrishnan
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Department of International Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Martorell
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Latham
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Abel
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D000886:Anthropometry; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014801:Vitamin A