title: Relationship of homestead food production with night blindness among children below 5 years of age in Bangladesh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between homestead food production and night blindness among pre-school children in rural Bangladesh in the presence of a national vitamin A supplementation programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based sample of six rural divisions of Bangladesh assessed in the Bangladesh Nutrition Surveillance Project 2001-2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 158 898 children aged 12-59 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rates of night blindness in children among those who did and did not receive vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months were 0·07 % and 0·13 %, respectively. Given the known effect of vitamin A supplementation on night blindness, the analysis was stratified by children's receipt of vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months. Among children who did not receive vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months, the lack of a home garden was associated with increased odds of night blindness (OR = 3·16, 95 % CI 1·76, 5·68; P = 0·0001). Among children who received vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months, the lack of a home garden was not associated with night blindness (OR = 1·28, 95 % CI 0·71, 2·31; P = 0·4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Homestead food production confers a protective effect against night blindness among pre-school children who missed vitamin A supplementation in rural Bangladesh.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 North Broadway, M015, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Nasima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Pee
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moench-Pfanner
authors.forename: Jee H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rah
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Badham
authors.forename: Martin W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Bloem
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Semba
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D051639:Gardening; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009755:Night Blindness / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A