PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF CLINICAL VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY AMONG PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN IN CHEHA DISTRICT, GURAGE ZONE SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: The clinical manifestation of vitamin A deficiency involves night blindness, bitot spot conjunctiva and corneal xerosis, corneal ulcer and scar. It is the most important causes of preventable childhood blindness, especially in children and pregnant women. Even though, Ethiopia has periodically delivered a high-potency vitamin A supplementation program clinicalvitamin A deficiency is still remains as a major public health problemObjective: To assess the prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency and associated factors among preschool children in Cheha district Southern Ethiopia, 2023Method: A community based cross sectional study was conducted from March 15 to April 15, 2023 G.C. The desired preschool children of age 36-59 months were selected using systematic random sampling. A structured and pretested questionnaire along with clinical observation for signs of Vitamin A deficiency traced by trained clinicians was used to collect the data. In addition, WHO Anthro plus software was used to calculate Z-scores of the height for age, weight for height and weight for age indices. The data was exported to SPSS version 22 and descriptive statistics was done. A bi-variable logistic analysis was done and variables which have statistical significant association with the outcome variable were selec ted for multivariable analysis. Finally, the result was presented by texts, tables and figures.Result; A total of 411 children were screened for clinical vitamin A deficiency where the overall prevalence in the study area was 2.2%. The odd of clinical VAD was 81% lower among children who were received vitamin A supplementation, AOR =0.19, 95% CI (0.038-0.918). In other hand the Preschool children with mother who had attended ANC visits had 89 % less likely to develop clinical VAD. (AOR=0.11, 95%CI: (0.022-0.529). In addition the study revealed that the odds of developing clinical VAD is 82 % lower among preschool children aged from 36 to 47 months (AOR = 0.18, 95% CI: (0.033-0.974).Conclusion and recommendation; the overall prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency in this study area was 2.2 %. ANC visit of the mother, vitamin A supplementation status, and age of the child were factors that determine clinical vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A supplementation for the preschool children and ANC visit of the pregnant mother should be strengthened