OBJECTIVES: to identify the factors associated with hypovitaminosis A in children in the semi-arid region of the Brazilian State of Alagoas. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried outwith a probabilistic sample of 551 children aged under five years. Serum levels of retinol were measured using high-efficiency liquid chromatography. In order to identify any associations between the independent variables and hypovitaminosis A (retinol <20 µg/dL) the prevalence ration (PR) was used with a confidence interval of 95% calculated using the Poisson regression, with a robust adjustment for variance, both in the raw analysis and in theadjusted one. The latter included all the variables from the raw analysis for which p<0.1. Associations were considered statistically significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: the prevalence of hypovitaminosis A was 45.4% and the variables that remained associated in the multivariable analysis were low maternal schooling (PR=1.66; CI95%: 1.12-2.44), low birthweight (RP=1,41; IC95%: 1,01-1,98) and being agedbetween 12.1 and 24 months (PR=1.45; CI95%: 1.04-2.02). CONCLUSIONS: this reveals that hypovitaminosis A is epidemiologically significant in children in the semi-arid region of Alagoas. Low birth weight newborns in the second year of life, born to mothers with a low level of education, should therefore receive priority health care.
Vitamin A deficiency; Child; preschool; Epidemiologic factors
