title: Prevalence and demographic factors associated with vitamin A deficiency in Colombian children aged 12-59 months.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the sociodemographic factors associated with subclinical vitamin A deficiency in a representative sample of Colombian children. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted of data from the 2010 National Nutrition Survey of Colombia (ENSIN 2010) on 4,279 children aged 12 to 59 months. Plasma vitamin A levels were measured using high resolution liquid chromatography (HRLC), and sociodemographic factors (sex, age, ethnicity, SISBEN score, and geographic region) were collected using a structured survey. Prevalence rates and associations were established using a multivariate regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin A levels ranged from 7.5-93.7 μg/dL (mean=26.2; 95% CI, 25.9 to 26.5μg/dL). Vitamin A levels less than 20 μg/dL (subclinical deficiency) were found in 24.3% of children. Children belonging to ethnic groups of African ascent, those living in the Orinoquia and Amazonia regions, and those aged 12-23 months had the greatest subclinical vitamin A deficiencies (29.5%, 31.1%, and 27.6% respectively. Regression models showed that age ranging from 12 and 23 months (OR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.73), a SISBEN score 1 (OR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.34), an African ascent (OR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.74), and living in the Orinoquia and Amazonia regions (OR 2.38; 95% CI, 1.62 to 3.51) were factors associated to subclinical vitamin A deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study population shows a high prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency, and comprehensive interventions involving nutritional and educational components are therefore recommended.
authors.affiliation: Grupo «El Cuidar», Programa de Enfermería, Universidad de Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Torres
authors.affiliation: Grupo GICAEDS, Facultad de Cultura Física, Deporte y Recreación, Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá D.C, Colombia.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Meneses-Echavéz
authors.affiliation: Grupo GICAEDS, Facultad de Cultura Física, Deporte y Recreación, Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá D.C, Colombia. Electronic address: robin640@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Robinson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Vélez
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A
keywords: Children; Colombia; Factores de riesgo; Niños; Risk Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamina A