Vitamin A Status and Associated Factors among Preschool Children Aged 3 to 5 Years in Offa District, Southern Ethiopia

Abebe, Rediet (2017) Vitamin A Status and Associated Factors among Preschool Children Aged 3 to 5 Years in Offa District, Southern Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.

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Abstract

Background: Vitamin A is a vital micronutrient involved in several biochemical activities crucial for regular biological purpose. Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a common form of micronutrient deficiency. Globally about 30% of children <5 years of age are vitamin A deficient and about 2% of all deaths are attributable to VAD in this age group. The aim of this study was to assess vitamin A status and associated factors among preschool children (3- 5 years) in Offa District, Southern Ethiopia. Method: Community based cross sectional study was conducted from October to November 2016. Structured interviewer administered questionnaire adapted from relevant studies was used. Four kebeles were selected randomly from Offa District for the study. A total of 204 children aged 36 to 59 months were included for socio demographic, 24 hour dietary recall and anthropometry measurements. Biochemical analysis was performed for serum retinol and hemoglobin concentrations. Malaria and stool examinations were also assessed. Statistical significance was interpreted using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval with p- value <0.05. Result: The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was 32.7% with mean serum retinol level of 0.87±0.33 μmol/l. Seventy nine percent of the children received vitamin A supplementation in the previous six months. Moderate anemia (Hb 7- 9.9 g/dl) affected about 10 (9%) children and 9% of the children had diarrhea in previous two weeks. Minimum dietary diversity of the children was 19.6%. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was about 4%. The multivariate analysis showed a statistically significant association of vitamin A deficiency with anemia [AOR=5.2; P<0.05], source of drinking water [AOR=4.8;P<0.05) and sanitation facility [AOR=0.04;P<0.05). Conclusion: Vitamin A deficiency is a severe public health problem in the study area. This may be due to low intake of vitamin A rich diet. In addition, high prevalence of stunting and inflammation also contributes to the problem.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Vitamin A, Determinants, Preschool children
Subjects: Q Science > QP Physiology
R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Emmanuel Ndorimana
Date Deposited: 29 Nov 2018 09:37
Last Modified: 29 Nov 2018 09:37
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/7838

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