Vitamin A deficiency among preschool children in a rural area of Egypt: the results of dietary assessment and biochemical assay.

Vitamin A status was evaluated among a cohort of preschool children (mean age 43 months) pertinent to a traditional society in rural Egypt. The Helen Keller International food frequency questionnaire, the 7-day 24-h dietary recall method and serum vitamin A concentrations were the criteria used for the evaluation. Mean values of 280 and 382 retinol equivalents (RE) were the daily estimates of vitamin A intakes among male and female children, respectively.