Nutritional Status of Selected Adolescent Children. : II. VITAMIN A NUTRITION ASSESSED BY DIETARY INTAKE AND SERUM LEVELS. BIOMICROSCOPIC AND GROSS OBSERVATIONS

Abstract

Vitamin A nutrition, for 248 15- and 16-year-old native-born and -reared Washington boys and girls, was assessed for two areas, Snohomish County and Yakima County. The indices used were: seven-day dietary record, serum vitamin A and serum carotene analyses, biomicroscopic observations of specific tissues, colored kodachrome photographs of bulbar conjunctiva, and physical observations. No significant difference was found between the intakes of vitamin A of the 15- and 16-year-old subjects, either boys or girls. The intake of the boys was higher than that of the girls and this difference was highly significant. Area differences were not significant. No significant difference was found between serum vitamin A and serum carotene, for age, sex or area for these subjects. With the exception of the dietary content vitamin A, which could be classified as excellent, the other indices indicated the state of vitamin A nutrition as fair to good, for these boys and girls. Simple correlations were calculated in an effort to establish the relationship between dietary intake, blood level and subclinical signs of a deficiency of vitamin A. Significant correlations were found for vitamin A intake with serum carotene and serum ascorbic acid; vitamin A intake from plant sources with serum carotene and serum ascorbic acid; serum vitamin A with serum carotene and serum ascorbic acid; serum carotene with serum ascorbic acid. Few correlations were found between the subclinical signs associated with vitamin A deficiency and fasting blood serum levels and dietary intake. Pooled simple correlation coefficients were calculated for dietary vitamin A, serum vitamin A, serum ascorbic acid with diet nutrients: calories, carbohydrate, riboflavin, niacin and iron; with riboflavin, cholesterol, phosphatase in blood serum, and sedimentation rate, hemoglobin and red blood cells in whole blood; bone density measurements and observations of the teeth. Significant pooled correlations were obtained for serum vitamin A with: hemoglobin and red blood cells; density evaluation of the os calcis, phalanxcenter and phalanx-end of the hand; number of missing teeth, and caries index. Significant pooled correlations were obtained for serum carotene with dietary riboflavin, niacin and iron; cholesterol, free and total in blood serum; cavities by exploration, number of missing teeth, caries index, and number of D.M.F. teeth.