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Vitamin A deficiency and anemia among children 12-71 months old in Honduras

dc.contributor.authorNestel, Penelopees_ES
dc.contributor.authorMelara, Alejandroes_ES
dc.contributor.authorRosado, Jorgees_ES
dc.contributor.authorMora, José Oes_ES
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-25T14:54:27Z
dc.date.available2015-08-25T14:54:27Z
dc.date.issued1999es_ES
dc.identifier.citationNestel, Penelope,Melara, Alejandro,Rosado, Jorge,Mora, José O (1999) Vitamin A deficiency and anemia among children 12-71 months old in Honduras. Rev Panam Salud Publica;6(1) -,jul. 1999. Retrieved from http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891999000600005&lng=pt&nrm=isoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891999000600005&lng=pt&nrm=isoes_ES
dc.identifier.urihttps://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/8919
dc.format.extenttabes_ES
dc.relation.ispartofseriesRev Panam Salud Publica;6(1),jul. 1999es_ES
dc.subjectDeficiência de Vitamina Aes_ES
dc.subjectDeficiência de Ferroes_ES
dc.subjectAnemiaes_ES
dc.subjectAlimentos Fortificadoses_ES
dc.subjectIndústria do Açúcarpt_BR
dc.subjectHondurases_ES
dc.titleVitamin A deficiency and anemia among children 12-71 months old in Hondurasen_US
dc.typeJournal articlesen_US
dc.rights.holderPan American Health Organizationen_US
dc.description.notesVitamin A deficiency (VAD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) have been recognized as public health problems in Honduras for over 30 years. This paper, based on the 1996 National Micronutrient Survey on 1.678 children 12-71 months of age, presents the results for vitamin A status and anemia prevalence, as well as the level of vitamin A in sugar at the household level. The results showed that 14 per cent of the children were subclinically vitamin A deficient (plasma retinol 20 ug/dL) and 32 per cent were at risk of VAD (plasma retinol 20-30 ug/dL). These data indicate that VAD is a moderate public health problem in Honduras. Logistic regression analysis showed that children 12-23 monts old living in areas other than the rural south of the country were at greatest risk of subclinical VAD. Infection, indicated by an elevated alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein level, increased the risk of subclinical VAD more than three-fold. Children from households that obtained water from a river, stream, or lake were at twice the risk of subclinical VAD compared with other children. That same doubled risk was found for children from a household with an outside toilet. VAD can be controlled by fortifying sugar. Retinol levels in sugar at the household level were about 50 per cent of those mandated by Honduran law. There appears to be significant leakage of unfortified sugar into the market. This is particularly true in the rural north, where 33 per cent of samples contained no retinol. Overall, 30 per cent of children were anemic (Hb 11 g/dL). Logistic regression analysis showed that children whose fathers lived with them but who had not attended at least grade 4 of primary school were at 33 per cent greater risk of being anemic. Infection and being underweight increased the risk of being anemic by 51 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively. Many of the anemic children had not been given iron supplements, suggesting health care providers may not be aware that anemia is widespread among young children and/or know how to diagnose iten_US


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