RESUMO
Background: Adolescent constitutes over 23% of the population in India. Critical development occurs during adolescence period. Growth spurt and increase in physical activity during adolescent period increases the nutrition and health needs of the adolescent. Objective was to study prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among school going adolescents of Vadodara city, Gujarat.Methods: The study was carried during period from September 2018 to August 2019. After taking the permission of principals of 3 schools and consent of the parents of adolescents, 511 adolescents from 3 schools of Vadodara city were examined for signs of various nutritional deficiencies. The data was collected by predesign, pretested proforma and analyzed using SPSS 17.0 (Trial Version).Results: Out of total 511 adolescents 253(49.5%) were female. Mean age of the study adolescents was 15.6±1.81 years. Maximum numbers of the adolescents were in the age group of 10-14 years (60.3%). Mean age of female and male adolescents was 15.2±1.71 years and 15.6±2.01 years respectively. The study revealed that vitamin A deficiency was present in 38(7.4%) adolescents. Vitamin B complex deficiency signs were seen in 112(21.9%) adolescents. Vitamin C deficiency signs were seen in 43(8.4%) adolescents. Protein Energy Malnutrition was observed in 52(10.1%) adolescents. Essential fatty acid deficiency was observed in 56(10.9%) adolescents.Conclusions: High prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among these adolescents needs great attention and health education.
RESUMO
ABSTRACT Objectives: To determine the frequency of folic acid deficiency in consecutive serum folate determinations and to determine whether there was a significant decrease in serum folate deficiency after folate was added to wheat flour. Methods: A retrospective descriptive observational study was performed of consecutive folate measurements at the Hospital Privado Universitario, Cordoba, Argentina. Results: Two cohorts were analyzed: 1197 folate measurements between 2001 and 2008 (before supplementation) and 3335 folate measurements from 2009 to 2014 (after supplementation). Folate deficiency was found in 84/1197 (7%) subjects in the pre-supplementation group and in 58/3335 (1.73%) after supplementation. The prevalence of folate deficiency was 12% between 2001 and 2003 when folate was not added to flour compared to 4% in 2004-2007 (p-value < 0.0001) when folate was added to the flour but no widespread use was documented. Conclusions: In the studied population, the prevalence of serum folic acid deficiency after folate supplementation was low at 1.73%. There was a significant decrease in folate deficiency after folate was added to wheat flour. Given the low prevalence of folic acid deficiency observed in this and similar studies, and the observed change with supplementation, we conclude that routine measurement of serum folate is of limited clinical use.