Retinolemia in normal weight and overweight schoolchildren

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of normal weight and overweight schoolchildren who have deficiency of vitamin A and to study the relationship between serum retinol concentrations and body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage and waist circumference of group normal weight and overweight children. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study carried out with schoolchildren aged 8 to 10 years old from public schools in Uberaba (MG). The sample consisted of eighty students matched for age and sex, being forty eutrophic schoolchildren and forty with overweight. Results: It was observed that 25% of students were overweight and 20% of normal weight children presents serum retinol disabled. There was no significant difference between the mean serum retinol concentrations in the eutrophic schoolchildren group and overweight group. No significant correlations were observed between serum concentrations and BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage measured by bioelectrical impedance in both groups. Conclusion: The results show a high prevalence of deficient serum retinol, which are not related to body fat percentage and waist circumference measurement, in two groups of healthy school children, a eutrophic and another group, overweight.