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Frequency and Determinants of Vitamin A Deficiency in Children Under 5 Years of Age with Pneumonia.
- Source :
-
Archives of Medical Research . Mar2002, Vol. 33 Issue 2, p180. 6p. - Publication Year :
- 2002
-
Abstract
- : BackgroundVitamin A deficiency (VAD) has been closely related to acute respiratory infections (ARI), although information is still incomplete; for example, the frequency of VAD in children <5 years of age with pneumonia is not known, and the conditions associated with VAD have not been identified. This study was conducted to gain insight into the status of vitamin A in children with pneumonia. A secondary objective was to identify the sociodemographic, individual, and nutritional factors associated with VAD in these children.: MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, one of the poorest in the country. Children with community-acquired pneumonia treated at nine public hospitals were included. Information was obtained by interviewing mothers, and ascertainment of vitamin A status was performed with relative-dose-response (RDR) test.: ResultsA total of 422 cases were included. VAD was identified in 17.8% of children; 50.3% showed normal results, 24.6% had liver reserve depletion, and 7.3% showed results attributable to the infectious process. Variables associated with VAD were as follows: age <2 months (OR 3.44, 95% CI: 1.84–9.24); children >6 months of age fed with formula (OR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.91), and affiliation with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) health system (OR 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22–0.72).: ConclusionsThe frequency of VAD in children with community-acquired pneumonia confirms that the problem of deficiency persists in Mexico. The associated factors for VAD found in this study can be taken into account when planning and evaluating vitamin A supplementation activities in populations with high risk for deficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Subjects :
- *VITAMIN A deficiency
*PNEUMONIA in children
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01884409
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Archives of Medical Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 7760706
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/S0188-4409(01)00361-7