[Vitamin A nutritional status of Chinese rural children and adolescents in 2010-2012].

Objective: To analysis the vitamin A nutritional status of 6-to 17-year-old children and adolescents between 2010-2012 in rural China.

Methods: Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2010-2012 project, the serum vitamin A samples of children and adolescents from survey sites of rural area were selected by random sampling method, and 5888 cases of samples were detected using the high performance liquid chromatography method to evaluate their vitamin A nutritional status.

Results: The serum retinol concentration of children and adolescents in rural area was( 1. 44 ± 0. 58) μmol/L, and were( 1. 40 ± 0. 56) μmol/L in general rural areas and( 1. 46 ± 0. 60) μmol/L in poverty rural areas respectively( t = 1. 88, P < 0. 05). The serum retinol concentration of6-to 11-year-old were( 1. 31 ± 0. 53) μmol/L and( 1. 37 ± 0. 60) μmol/L, and serumretinol concentration of 12-to 17-year-old were( 1. 52 ± 0. 57) μmol/L and( 1. 52 ±0. 60) μmol/L( t = 11. 90 and t = 5. 54, P < 0. 05). The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was 5. 53%, and were 6. 14% in general rural areas and 4. 55% in poverty rural areas, respectively( P > 0. 05). The prevalence of marginal vitamin A deficiency were 18. 75%, and were 19. 17% in general rural areas and 18. 07% in poverty rural areas, respectively( P > 0. 05).

Conclusion: The situation of vitamin A deficiency in rural China are still widespread, the high prevalence of marginal vitamin A deficiency is more prominent.