Vitamin A deficiency and associated risk factors in children aged 12-59 months living in poorest municipalities in the South Region of Brazil

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children and associated risk factors. Design: Analysis of data from a cross-sectional multicentre study performed in the primary care units of the municipalities from January to June 2015. The children's legal guardians answered a socio-economic questionnaire, and the children's blood samples were obtained by venipuncture. Plasma retinol was determined by HPLC. Plasma retinol values of P < 0 center dot 05 were considered significant. The data were analysed in the SPSS software, 21.0. Setting: Forty-eight poorest municipalities in the South Region of Brazil. Participants: Children (n 1503) aged 12-59 months. Results: The prevalence of VAD in the sample was 1 center dot 9 % (95 % CI (0 center dot 5, 6 center dot 8)). The following risk factors were associated with the outcome in the final explanatory model: family received Bolsa Familia program benefits (PR = 3 center dot 19; 95 % CI (1 center dot 69, 6 center dot 02)), child was not being breastfed (PR = 5 center dot 22; 95 % CI (1 center dot 68, 16 center dot 18)) and stunting (PR = 4 center dot 75; 95 % CI (2 center dot 10, 10 center dot 73)). Conclusions: VAD did not represent a public health problem for children living in socio-economically vulnerable municipalities in the South Region of Brazil, suggesting a new panorama of this nutritional deficiency even in regions of low socio-economic conditions in these three states. Thus, in view of the current nutritional transition scenario, it is necessary to continuously monitor and improve public policies related to vitamin A supplementation in the country.