Objective: To assess the vitamin A status of Chinese rural elderly population by analyzing the serum retinol levels of Chinese rural elderly residents in 2010-2012.
Methods: Data were from the Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey in2010-2012. Using the multistage stratified cluster sampling method, serum samples from the elderly residents aged above 60 years old( including), were obtained from 45 general rural and 30 poor rural. The basic situation of the survey object was collected by the questionnaire survey. The concentration of serum retinol was determined by high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC). The vitamin A deficiency( VAD) was judged by the related standard recommended by WHO. A total of 2 413 elderly residents were included in the study. The levels of serum retinol and the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and marginal vitamin A deficiency were also compared.
Results: The level of serum retinol for rural elderly residents was 1. 88( 1. 45-2. 45) μmol/L. The serum retinol level of poor rural resident was( 1. 92( 1. 46-2. 48) μmol/L), which was significant for the ordinary rural residents( 1. 86( 1. 44-2. 41) μmol/L)( χ~2= 5. 1428, P = 0. 0233). The serum retinol of male elderly( 1. 97( 1. 48-2. 54)) was statistically higher than female( 1. 82( 1. 42-2. 33))( χ~2= 22. 3383, P < 0. 0001). The prevalence of VAD among Chinese rural elderly residents was 2. 28%, 2. 79% for ordinary rural residents and 1. 53% for poor rural residents. The marginal VAD rate of Chinese rural elderly residents was 6. 30%, 6. 84% for ordinary rural residents and 5. 51% for poor rural residents. The prevalence of VAD and marginal VAD for male was 2. 18% and5. 57%, respectively. The prevalence of VAD and marginal VAD for female was 2. 38%and 7. 21%, respectively. No statistically difference was observed between different genders. The prevalence of VAD was 1. 93%, 3. 17% and 1. 47% for different age groups( 60 ~ 69, 70 ~ 79 and above 80 years old), and no statistically difference was observed between different age groups. The prevalence of marginal VAD was 5. 87%, 6. 20% and 11. 74% for different age groups, and statistically difference was observed between different age groups( χ~2= 7. 3858, P = 0. 039).
Conclusion: Chinese rural elderly population has a certain degree of vitamin A deficiency and marginal deficiency, the marginal deficiency of the elderly over 80 years old is more common.
Keywords: aged; cross-sectional studies; rural; vitamin A.