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Caballero E, Rivera G, Nelson DP. National vitamin A survey in Panama. Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1996;30(1):43-50
Caballero, E., Rivera, G., & Nelson, D. P. (1996). National vitamin A survey in Panama. Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization, 30(1), 43-50.
Caballero, E, et al. "National vitamin A survey in Panama." Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization vol. 30,1 (1996): 43-50.
Caballero E, Rivera G, Nelson DP. National vitamin A survey in Panama. Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1996 Mar;30(1):43-50. PMID: 8919725.
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Bull Pan Am Health Organ. 1996 Mar;30(1):43-50.

National vitamin A survey in Panama.

Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization

E Caballero, G Rivera, D P Nelson

Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Panama City, Panama.

PMID: 8919725

Abstract

The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in a nationally representative sample of children 12-59 months old in Panama was assessed using serum retinol levels and dietary indicators. The median serum retinol level found was 1.27 +/- 0.42 mumol/L (38 micrograms/dL); 6.0% of the study sample providing adequate blood specimens had levels below 0.7 mumol/L (20 micrograms/dL), indicating deficient vitamin A intake. The Panama City Metropolitan Area and the country's western region had the highest prevalences of low serum retinol levels (below 0.7 mumol/L in 9% and 6% of the study children, respectively), as compared to overall prevalences of 5% in the two other regions studied. Low serum retinol levels were significantly more prevalent among Indians in the study group (primarily Guaymí Indians) than among non-Indians (13% versus 5%). Dietary information provided by the study children's mothers showed that high risk of inadequate dietary vitamin A intake closely paralleled low serum retinol levels; specifically, the highest prevalence of dietary inadequacy was found in the western region, especially among the Indians. The Panamanian Government is currently increasing distribution of high-dose vitamin A capsules to Indian preschoolers in Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro Provinces.

Keywords: Age Factors; Americas; Biology; Central America; Child; Child Nutrition; Deficiency Diseases; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; Diseases; Examinations And Diagnoses; Health; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Latin America; North America; Nutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutrition Indexes; Nutrition Surveys; Panama; Physiology; Population; Population Characteristics; Vitamin A; Vitamins; Youth

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