Anthropometric measurements and plasma retinal levels of preschool children in Egypt

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to explore the relation of anthropometric measurements of preschool children and their plasma retinol levels. Weight, height and plasma retinol levels were measured in 1572 Egyptian preschool children aged 6.71 months from 5 governorates representing different geographical areas in Egypt. The preschool children were selected from the catchmnent areas of urban and rural primary health care [PHC] facilities in each governorate. Results showed that stunting [21.5%], underweight [16.4%] and wasting [9.6%] as indicators of protein energy malnutrition [PEM] were the major problems among preschool children. However, prevalence of overweight represented 1.7% of the total studied children. Among the severely low plasma retinol level children [< 10 micro g/dl], underweight was 33.3% while 16.6% among the normal plasma retinol level children [>20 micro g/dl]. Also, stunting among the former group was more than double [44.4%] that among the latter group [21.9%]. However, there is no significant association between nutritional status of children as indicated by weight/age Z-score [W/A], height/age Z-score [H/A], weight/height Z-score [W/H] and their plasma retinol levels. We can conclude that plasma retinol per se is not an accurate predicator for nutritional status of preschool children