Relationship Between Serum Vitamin A Levels and Maternal Education and Social Status Among Undernourished Children in Zaria

Abstract

Abstract
Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects an estimated 6 million preschool children in Nigeria and 20 million in Africa. The deficiency significantly increases childhood morbidity and mortality when associated with undernutrition.

Objective: To determine the relationship between serum vitamin A levels, maternal education, and social status among undernourished Nigerian children.

Methodology: This was a case-control, hospital-based, descriptive study of children aged 6-59 months carried out at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) Banzazzau, Zaria. The serum vitamin A level was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Values below a cut-off, usually taken as 0.70 µmol/L (20 µg/ dl) and 0.35 µmol/L (10 µg/dl), defined as low serum vitamin A and vitamin A deficiency, respectively.

Results: Sixty-six children were recruited as the cases and age-matched controls. Eleven children in each group had low serum vitamin A levels. The three children with vitamin A deficiency belonged to the cases. The overall mean serum vitamin A for the cases was 59.44±12.93µg/dl, while it was 59.90±14.06µg/dl for the controls. The overall mean serum vitamin A levels based on maternal education were 57.26±16.2µg/dl for the cases and 61.02±5.36µg/dl for the controls (p = 0.01). The overall mean serum vitamin A levels based on social class were 59.36±7.38µg/dl and 61.67±6.74µg/dl for the cases and controls, respectively (p = 0.01).

Conclusion: The lowest mean serum vitamin A levels for the cases were recorded in the younger age groups compared to the controls. Maternal educational levels and social class greatly influenced their children's serum vitamin A levels.

Keywords: Childhood, Educational level, Retinol, Social class, Under-nutrition, Vitamin A.