title: The effect of vitamin A-fortified coconut cooking oil on the serum retinol concentration of Filipino children 4-7 years old.
abstract: A 6-month intervention trial was conducted among 542 Filipino children aged 4 to 7 years to determine the effect of vitamin A-fortified coconut cooking oil intake on their vitamin A status and to identify factors that influence this. Children were randomly assigned to the Experimental group, with vitamin A-fortified cooking oil ration; to Control-1 group with unfortified cooking oil ration; and to Control-2 group without cooking oil ration. In all groups, children's serum retinol concentration improved. Relative change in serum retinol concentration was significantly higher among the Experimental group, with one-third of total vitamin A intake coming from vitamin A-fortified cooking oil intake, than in the Control groups, with more than half of intake from other vitamin A-rich foods. Determinants of post-intervention serum retinol concentration included baseline serum retinol concentration, caregiver's education, receipt of high-dose vitamin A capsule, interaction between consumption of vitamin A-fortified cooking oil and of other vitamin A-rich foods, and between households purchasing cooking oil and food expenditure. Intake of vitamin A-fortified cooking oil combined with vitamin A-rich foods was necessary to increase serum retinol concentration. It is recommended to vigorously promote the consumption of vitamin A-fortified cooking oil together with other vitamin A-rich sources to sustain the prevention and control of vitamin A deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology, DOST Compound, Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines. lvc@fnri.dost.gov.ph
authors.forename: Luz V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Candelaria
authors.forename: Clarita R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Magsadia
authors.forename: Rowena E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Ma Regina A
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pedro
authors.forename: Corazon V C
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.forename: Celeste C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tanchoco
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000074263:Coconut Oil; D003296:Cooking; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D014801:Vitamin A; D000074263:Coconut Oil