title: Coverage of vitamin A capsule programme in Bangladesh and risk factors associated with non-receipt of vitamin A.
abstract: Vitamin A supplementation reduces child morbidity, mortality, and blindness. The coverage of the national vitamin A programme and risk factors for not receiving vitamin A were characterized using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004. Of 3,745 children aged 18-59 months, 3,237 (86.4%) received a vitamin A capsule each within the last six months. Children who missed vitamin A were more likely to be stunted (prevalence ratio [PR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.00) and come from a family with a previous history of mortality of children aged less than five years (PR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.99). Maternal education of > or = 10 years (PR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.13), 7-9 years (PR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.12), and 1-6 years (PR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.08) compared to no formal education was associated with the child not receiving vitamin A in a multivariate model, adjusting for potential confounders. Children missed by the vitamin A programme were more likely to come from families with lower maternal education. Special efforts are required to ensure that the coverage of the national vitamin A programme is increased further so that the most vulnerable children are also better protected against morbidity, mortality, and blindness.
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 550 N. Broadway, Suite 700 Baltimore, MD 21205 USA rdsemba@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Semba
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Pee
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Nasima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.forename: Martin W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Raju
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001766:Blindness / Q000517:prevention & control; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A
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