ABSTRACT
During a countrywide survey, we assessed the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency by impression cytology method with transfer in a randomized sample of 650 representative of the children's population of the Republic of Malawi. A vitamin A deficiency was indicated by the results of the ophthalmic examination (XN = 1,4%; X2 = 0,2%) and the ICT test (22% with deficient cytology). Results of ICT were related to age. Vitamin A deficiency seems to be a public health problem in the Republic of Malawi.
Subject(s)
Cytodiagnosis , Vitamin A Deficiency/diagnosis , Child , Child, Preschool , Conjunctiva/pathology , Cytodiagnosis/methods , Humans , Malawi/epidemiology , Nutritional Status , Prevalence , Random Allocation , Vitamin A Deficiency/epidemiology , Vitamin A Deficiency/pathology , Xerophthalmia/diagnosis , Xerophthalmia/epidemiology , Xerophthalmia/pathologyABSTRACT
This study was carried out to serve as preliminary study for a possible wider population survey on the prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders. The results indicate that there is iodine deficiency in the pupils attending three schools in the three areas investigated. The high prevalence of both total goitre (65 percent) and visible goitre (8 percent) among the children; seems to indicate that areas of severe endemicity could exist in Dowa District
Subject(s)
Goiter , Iodine/epidemiologyABSTRACT
A prevalence survey of the Salima and Dedza East districts carried out in September 1988 among a representative sample of children 24-28 months. The prevalence for vitamin A deficiency was 22 percent
