title: Serum vitamin A concentrations and growth in children and adolescents in Gansu Province, China.
abstract: The association between serum vitamin A concentration and growth was assessed in a random sample of 650 children aged 0-14 years and 143 adolescents aged 15-19 years from the four prefectures of Jiayuguan, Linxia, Lanzhou and Tianshui in Gansu Province, China. Serum vitamin A concentrations were measured using a high performance liquid chromatograph. Height and weight were measured with standard methods. The results show that serum vitamin A concentration appeared to be the lowest in the age group 5-9 years which was only 0.28 mg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.27-0.30) in males and 0.30 mg/mL (95% CI: 0.28-0.32) in females; and then it gradually increased with age. There was no statistically significant difference between males and females in any of the age groups. There were statistically significant correlations between vitamin A and weight (r = 0.37; P <0.001) and body mass index (r = 0.26; P < 0.001). This study suggests that serum vitamin A concentrations in children and adolescents may affect child growth. Concerted efforts to improve vitamin A status from a very early age become increasingly important if vitamin A has a genuine impact on child growth.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oldenburg
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A