%0 Journal Article
%T Subclinical Vitamin A Deficiency and Malnourishment among East Timor Refugee Children
%A Marcelino Correia
%A Nitin Verma
%A V.Swetha E. Jeganathan
%J International Journal of Ophthalmology | Ophthalmology Journals Indexed in PubMed
%D 2016
%R 10.15226/2474-9249/1/1/00110
%X Context/Background: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children living at refugee camps in East Timor. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted among 89 children (6 to 72 months old) at two refugee camps in Dili, East Timor. We evaluated socio-economic, demographic, nutrition intake of vitamin A, and examined clinically for xerophthalmia. The World Health Organization (WHO) criterion was used to classify the populations' VAD risk and status. Results: Of 89 children, 80.9% received vitamin A supplementation and full immunization, but 5.6% suffered from night blindness, without xerophthalmia. As recommended by WHO, all children consumed fruits/vegetables containing vitamin A sources more than three times per week. 69.7% had been regularly breast fed. Yet almost 30% of the children suffered from moderate to severe malnutrition. Conclusions: Despite social unrest, no evidence of clinical VAD was found among the refugee children in East Timor. However, subclinical VAD occurred at a level of mild-moderate public health importance, with concurrent malnourishment; consequently, this situation warrants further attention. Keywords: Vitamin A Deficiency; Children; Refugee; Night blindness; Malnutritio
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