Vitamin A-first dose supplement coverage evaluation amongst children aged 12-23 months residing in slums of Delhi, India.
OBJECTIVE
To determine vitamin A-first dose supplement coverage in children aged 12-23 months and to find out its correlates with selected variables.


METHODS
The 30-cluster sampling technique based on probability proportional to size advocated by the World Health Organization was used to assess vitamin A-first dose supplement amongst 210 children in the age group of 12-23 months residing in slums of a randomly selected municipal zone of Delhi during October to November 2005.


RESULTS
Only 79 (37.6%) children out of 210 had received vitamin A-first dose supplement. Further analysis of 79 children was carried out with regard to selected variables like religion, gender, birth order, place of birth, immunization status and literacy of mother. These analyses showed that 71 (89.9%) were Hindu and eight (10.1%) were non-Hindu ( P = 0.04). Nearly 44 (55.7%) males and 35 (44.3%) females had received vitamin A ( P = 0.74). The proportion of children born in a health institution who received first dose (57%) of vitamin A supplementation was significantly higher than of those who were born at home (43%) ( P 0.001). Similarly, higher proportion of children with birth order-one (48.1%) in comparison to birth order-three or above (26.6%) received vitamin A ( P 0.001). Thirty children though fully immunized for vaccine-preventable disease up to the age-of-one year had not received vitamin A-first dose supplement, suggesting that an opportunity had been missed. The association between receipt of vitamin A by the child and literacy status of mother was found to be significant ( P 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The study reflects low coverage of Vitamin A supplement.
Sachdeva
Sandeep
S
Ophthalmology division, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi, India. drsandeepsachdeva@gmail.com
Datta
Utsuk
U
D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D014505:Urban Population; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A