Health and Nutritional Status of Children in Western Kenya

A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 1998 among 300 children aged 1-3 years in Bungoma district of western Kenya. This is an area endemic for malaria with a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. In 1993 the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was 37.8%. In the present study effects of vitamin A deficiency on health and growth of children were studied. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the children had severe vitamin A deficiency 92% had anaemia, 76% had malaria parasitaemia and 21% were stunted. Anthropometric measures significantly correlated with haemoglobin concentration (P value <0.0001). There was significant difference in the retinol levels of the stunted and normal children (P value = 0.02). Retinol concentration differed significantly among children with high and low C-reactive protein (P = 0.0004). Vitamin A deficiency and anaemia are a public health problem among the children studied. High prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and anaemia was associated with impaired growth.