title: [Iron status and serum retinol levels among children and adolescents attended by a Family Health Strategy team in Itajaí, Santa Catarina State].
abstract: The objective of this article is to determine prevalence of iron and vitamin A deficiencies among children and adolescents attended by a Family Health Strategy team in Itajaí, Santa Catarina State, and to assess relations between iron status and serum retinol. A nutritional census of the families was carried out. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected. Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrite, serum iron and retinal were determined. Thirty-one out of the 156 enrolled families participated in the study. Only 39.1% of the children and 62.0% of the adolescents had their blood samples collected. Mean per capita income was 1.68+/-1.00 minimum wages. None of the parents was illiterate and most families (80.6%) owned their homes. All homes had public sewage and water supply, and 87.1% were made of brickwork. Iron deficiency was diagnosed in 16.7% of the children and 19.3% of the adolescents. Only one child had vitamin A deficiency. Significant correlations were found between serum iron and retinol among children, and among adolescents between serum retinol and hemoglobin concentration and hematocrite. We found mild prevalences of iron and vitamin A deficiencies, possibly due to the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Curso de Nutrição, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Itajaí, SC, 88302-202. alinemariath@gmail.com
authors.forename: Aline Brandão
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mariath
authors.forename: Rubia Mara
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Giachini
authors.forename: Laíz Guedes
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Lauda
authors.forename: Luciane Peter
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Grillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D007501:Iron