Sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia among Vietnamese children less than five years of age

The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of sub clinical vitamin A deficiency and anemia in Vietnamese children. For this, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 40 villages (clus-ters) of four ecological regions in Vietnam during Apr-May 2001. In total 1657 children less than 5 years old were included by a cluster random sampling method. The prevalence of sub clinical vita-min A deficiency (serum retino

Anaemia in schoolchildren in eight countries in Africa and Asia

Objective: To report on the haemoglobin concentrations and prevalence of anaemia in schoolchildren in eight countries in Africa and Asia. Design: Blood samples were collected during surveys of the health of schoolchildren as a part of programmes to develop school-based health services. Setting: Rural schools in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. Subjects: Nearly 14 000 children enrolled in basic education in three age ranges (7-11 years, 12-14 years and >/= 15 years) which reflect the new UNICEF/WHO thresholds to define anaemia. Results: Anaemia was found to be a severe public health problem (defined as >40% anaemic) in five African countries for children aged 7-11 years and in four of the same countries for children aged 12-14 years. Anaemia was not a public health problem in the children studied in the two Asian countries. More boys than girls were anaemic, and children who enrolled late in school were more likely to be anaemic than children who enrolled closer to the correct age. The implications of the four new thresholds defining anaemia for school-age children are examined. Conclusions: Anaemia is a significant problem in schoolchildren in sub-Saharan Africa. School-based health services which provide treatments for simple conditions that cause blood loss, such as worms, followed by multiple micronutrient supplements including iron, have the potential to provide relief from a large burden of anaemia

Efficacy of combined iron and zinc supplementation on micronutrient status and growth in Vietnamese infants

Objective: To evaluate the effect of combined iron - zinc supplementation on micronutrient status, growth and morbidity. Design: Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled supplementation trial. Setting: Rural district of Que Vo, in the Red River Delta in Vietnam. Subjects: A total of 915 breast-fed infants aged 4 - 7 months were included and 784 completed the study. Interventions: The Fe-group received daily and for a 6-month period 10 mg of iron, the Zn-group 10 mg zinc, the Fe - Zn group 10 mg iron + 10 mg zinc and the placebo group a placebo. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin ( SF) and zinc (SZn), and anthropometry were measured before and at the end of the intervention. Morbidity was recorded daily. Results: Changes of Hb and SF were higher in both Fe and Fe+Zn groups ( respectively 22.6 and 20.6 g/l for Hb; 36.0 and 24.8 mg/l for SF) compared to Zn and placebo groups ( Hb: 6.4 and 9.8 g/l; SF: - 18.2 and - 16.9 mg/l, P<0.0001). SZn increased more in Zn group (10.3 mu mol/l) than in Fe+Zn group (8.0 mu mol/l, P = 0.03) and more in these groups compared to Fe and placebo groups (1.6 and 1.2 mu mol/l, P<0.0001). Weight gain was higher in the Zn group. No significant effects of supplementations on growth in length or morbidity. Conclusions: Combined iron - zinc supplementation had a positive effect on iron and zinc status in infants. However, the positive effect of zinc alone on SZn and weight would indicate a negative interaction of iron when added to zinc supplements

Intakes of retinol and carotenoids and its determining factors in the Red River Delta population of northern Vietnam

Objective: To describe the household intakes of retinol and carotenoids and social economic factors determining their intakes. Subjects: Data on a total of 1001 households (771 in rural areas and 230 in urban areas) were used in the analyses. Interviewed person was household food preparer. Results: Mean (s.d.) intake of carotenoids was 4178 (3154) mu g/capita/day in rural and 4208 (3408) mu g/capita/day in urban areas and intake of retinol was 101 (275) mu g/capita/day in rural and 201 (470) mu g/capita/day in urban areas. Multivariate analyses show that the subjects in households with four or more members consume about 700 mu g carotenoids less compared to households with less than three members. Households with a higher expenditure (fourth quartile) consumed about 100 mg retinol/day more than those with a lower expenditure (first quartile). Conclusion: Carotenoids from plant food sources is the main source of vitamin A intake of the population and its main determinants are household expenditure and size of household. Food fortification and dietary diversification with special emphasis on promotion of consumption of animal foods should be key strategies for overcoming vitamin A deficiency in Vietnam

An association between chronic undernutrition and educational test scores in Vietnamese children

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between results of educational tests and the anthropometric status of schoolchildren. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data collected during the baseline survey of a randomised trial. SETTING: Eighty-one primary schools in three districts of northern Vietnam. SUBJECTS: A total of 3055 schoolchildren enrolled in class 3 and born in 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tests of mathematics and Vietnamese language developed not to show floor or ceiling effects, and Z-scores of height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height. RESULTS: After controlling for age, sex, district and school the results of test scores in both mathematics and Vietnamese were significantly negatively correlated with Z-scores of height-for-age (P<0.001) and weight-for-age (P<0.001), but not with weight-for-height (P=0.75). CONCLUSIONS: A cross-sectional negative association was observed in Vietnamese primary school children between indicators of chronic undernutrition and tests of educational achievement. SPONSORSHIP: The study was funded by donors to the Partnership for Child Development including the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank

The contribution of plant foods to the vitamin A supply of lactating women in Vietnam: a randomized controlled trial

Background: More information is needed on the efficacy of carotenoids from plant foods in improving vitamin A status. Objective: We aimed to quantify the efficacy of provitamin A¿rich vegetables and fruit in improving vitamin A status. Design: Breastfeeding women in 9 rural communes in Vietnam were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: the vegetable group (n = 73), which ingested 5.6 mg ß-carotene/d from green leafy vegetables; the fruit group (n = 69), which ingested 4.8 mg ß-carotene/d from orange or yellow fruit; the retinol-rich group (n = 70), which ingested 610 µg retinol/d from animal foods and 0.6 mg ß-carotene/d; and the control group (n = 68), which ingested 0.4 mg ß-carotene/d. Meals of groups 1, 2, and 4 containe