indian council of medical research - Pondicherry University DSpace ...

health problem in school age children. Dietary inadequacy could be the main reason
for the occurrence of vitamin A deficiency as it was found that most ch~ldren In this
study area mainly consumed less than 70.0 % of the RDA. Health education can play
an important part in improving the dietary intake. The vitamin A prophylaxs program
could also be extended to the school age children to overcome thls important health
problem. The higher prevalence of vitamin A defiuency recorded in boys in th~s study
was similar to that reported by other investigators (Srikantia,1989).
[c) Anemia and vitamin B complex deficiency
The prevalence of anemia (57.1%) and riboflavin deficiency (32.9%) was much higher
man those reported from other rural areas in India. Anemia in school age children
observed in the current study, is most likely to be caused by iron deficiency. Iron
defiuency anemia is quite widespread in Ind~a, the prevalence varying from 45.0% In
male adults to 70.0% or more in women and children (Anonymous,l990). Studies have
shown that the iron absorption from a habitual cereal based lndian d~et was quite low,
ranging from 2 0%-5 0%. In this study the average iron intake of chlldren was found to
be about 50 0% of the RDA. Poor dietary intake compoutided by worm lnfestalon could
be the main cause for anemla. In this study, the intake of thiamine was observed to be
relatively better than the intake of riboflavin. This could be due a better intake of nce, a
good source of thiamine, when compared to the intake of legumes and groundnuts
whlch are good sources of riboflavin and niacin. Riboflavin deficiency is widespread in
India and the prevalence of 32.9% in this study confirms the dietary inadequacy of
fiboflawn in the habitual Indian diet and the need to improve it, by health education
and/or supplementation.