Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent in children less than 5 y of age in Nigeria.
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious and widespread public health problem in developing countries. We conducted a nationwide food consumption and nutrition survey in Nigeria to help fomulate strategies to address VAD, among other deficiencies. One objectives was to assess the vitamin A status of children <5 y old. A total of 6480 households with a mother and child <5 y old were randomly sampled. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture and processed to obtain serum for measurement of retinol concentration by HPLC. Nationwide, 29.5% of children <5 y old were vitamin A deficient (serum retinol <0.70 micromol/L). The proportions of children with VAD differed among the agroecological zones; incidences were 31.3% in the dry savanna, 24.0% in the moist savanna, and 29.9% in the humid forest (P < 0.001). More children (P < 0.05) with severe deficiency (serum retinol < 0.35 micromol/L) lived in the humid forest (7.1%) than in the dry (3.1%) or moist savanna (2.4%). The distribution of VA in children <5 y old was 25.6% in the rural sector, 32.6% in the medium, and 25.9% in the urban sector (P < 0.05). In conclusion, VAD is a severe public health problem in Nigeria. Although the proportion of children with low serum vitamin A levels varies agroecologically and across sectors, it is an important public health problem in all zones and sectors.
Maziya-Dixon
Busie B
BB
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. bdixon@cgiar.org
Akinyele
Isaac O
IO
Sanusi
Rasaki A
RA
Oguntona
Tunde E
TE
Nokoe
Sagary K
SK
Harris
Ellen W
EW
D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*