Research Priorities and Strategies for Investigation of the Influence of Vitamin-A Supplementation on Morbidity
Year: 1989
Type: article
Abstract: This paper reviews recent clinical and field research in vitamin A and morbidity and examines, primarily, the epidemiologic evidence for the association between vitamin-A deficiency and morbidity.Since I have been requested to discuss the findings from the most significant work, this review is not exhaustive and is based on an epidemiologist's view of significance.From the available literature, most vitamin-A research focuses on the following morbidities: respiratory disease, diarrhoeal disease, and measles complications, of which respiratory and diarrhoeal infections and corneal ulcers are the most common in less-developed communities.The research was designed as either longitudinal cohort studies of preschool-aged children or hospital-based trials.For this review, several criteria were used to evaluate individual studies, including the following: • the strength of the association or effect;• whether important factors related to vitamin-A status and to morbidity were controlled in the analysis; • the identification of positive or negative findings and whether any systematic bias could have altered those findings, which are usually computed as an estimate of effect, such as a relative risk; and • the appropriateness of, as well as the ability to implement, the study design.A summary of study findings and recommendations for future research follow the review of recent research.Research priorities and strategies for investigation TABLE 1. Age-specific incidence of respiratory and diarrhoeal disease among children with and without xerophthalmia Age (years) Number of childintervals Cases of disease Rate per 1,000 Relative risk (N-N: X-X) p (2-tailed) N-N X-X N-N X-X N-N X-X Respiratory disease Λ 1 5,484 42 470 8 86 191 1:2.2 <.05
Source: Food and Nutrition Bulletin
Author: Michele R. Forman
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2899179081