[Prevalence of vitamin a deficiency and anemia in children under five years of age in Peru].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and nutritional anemia (NA) in children under five in Peru.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study with a stratified and multi-staged probabilistic sample conducted between November 2007 and April 2010.2,736 children were included for NA and 1,465 children for VAD. NA was defined as Hb<11 g/dL.VAD was identified by serum retinol levels <20 µg/dL. Sociodemographic variables related to the child and the mother were studied in addition to their participation in growth control and development programs, integrated nutrition program and supplementation with iron and vitamin A. Analysis of complex samples was performed, descriptive statistics and logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals and a significance level of p<0.05 were calculated.


RESULTS
The prevalence of VAD was 11.7% (95% CI: 9.4 to 14.4). The highest prevalences were in children under five months (44.6%) and those living in rural areas (19.5%). The prevalence of NA was 33% (95% CI: 29.9 to 36.1) and was higher in children under 11 months (68.2%) and children of mothers aged 13-19 years old (55.4 %).


CONCLUSIONS
VAD is a public health problem that remains, with the most affected children living in rural areas and in the jungle. The prevalence of NA shows a slight improvement. It is necessary to improve the efficiency and impact of programs that include supplementation of vitamin A and iron.
Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
Jaime
J
Pajuelo
Centro Nacional de Alimentación y Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú
Marianella
M
Miranda
Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Perú
Rosa
R
Zamora
D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*