title: [Analysis on the status of vitamin A deficiency among children under 5 years old in poor rural areas of 6 Western Chinese provinces in 2009].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the status of vitamin A deficiency among children under 5 years old in poor rural areas of 6 Western Chinese provinces in 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study subjects involved 2091 children from a program - 'Appropriate measurements in improving children under-nutrition in poor rural areas'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2009, prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among children under 5 years old from the poor rural areas of 6 western Chinese provinces was 20.2%, with boys as 20.6% and girls as 19.7%. Prevalence rates of vitamin A deficiency among children under 5 years old in the highest and lowest areas were seen in Gansu (25.5%) and Guangxi (12.2%) provinces, respectively. The peak of vitamin A deficiency prevalence fell in the 6 - 11 months age group. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency declined along with the increase of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  
  
  
  RESULTS
  from this study demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency among children under 5 years old appeared to be a serious public health problem in the poor rural areas of 6 Western Chinese provinces. Education on reasonable ways of feeding and provision of complementary nutrients to children with vitamin A deficiency, should be the key points in the prevention and control programs on this problem.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ji-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ai-dong
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Feng-Ying
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control