Abstract
The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are well-documented. Those rich in provitamin A carotenoids are good sources of vitamin A. This cross-sectional study indirectly assessed fruit and vegetable intakes using serum carotenoids in 193 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years in the Western part of Burkina Faso. The mean total serum carotenoid concentration was 0.23 ± 0.29 µmol/L, which included α- and β-carotene, lutein, and β-cryptoxanthin, and determined with serum retinol concentrations in a single analysis with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum retinol concentration was 0.80 ± 0.35 µmol/L with 46% of children (n = 88) having low values <0.7 µmol/L. Total serum carotene (the sum of α- and β-carotene) concentration was 0.13 ± 0.24 µmol/L, well below the reference range of 0.9–3.7 µmol carotene/L used to assess habitual intake of fruits and vegetables. Individual carotenoid concentrations were determined for α-carotene (0.01 ± 0.05 µmol/L), β-carotene (0.17 ± 0.24 µmol/L), β-cryptoxanthin (0.07 ± 0.06 µmol/L), and lutein (0.06 ± 0.05 µmol/L). These results confirm the previously measured high prevalence of low serum vitamin A concentrations and adds information about low serum carotenoids among schoolchildren suggesting that they have low intakes of provitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables.
Highlights
Micronutrient deficiencies among children under 5 years old in low- and middle-income countries are common
Comparing Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age z-score (BAZ) of the children to WorldHealth Organization (WHO) growth standards determined that mean BAZ was −1.24 ± 1.05 with 20% (CI = 95%) low BAZ (Figure 1)
The high prevalence of low serum retinol concentrations is consistent with research in other regions from Burkina Faso [9,10]
Summary
Micronutrient deficiencies among children under 5 years old in low- and middle-income countries are common. Vitamin A (VA), and zinc are targeted for improvement by the World. Health Organization (WHO) because their deficiencies are prevalent and lead to increased mortality and morbidity [1]. Community randomized controlled trials have shown that administering preformed VA solely or in combination with zinc to children in regions with a high prevalence of malaria, reduced morbidity [2,3]. Targeting preschool children is of specific interest because of long-term detrimental effects of undernutrition on cognitive development and adulthood work productivity [1]. A random-effects meta-analysis of several VA trials showed reduction of mortality rates by 24% among children 6–59 months
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