Intakes of retinol and carotenoids and its determining factors in the Red River Delta population of northern Vietnam

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2008-06, Vol.62 (6), p.810-816
• Main Authors: Khan, N.C, Mai, L.B, Minh, N.D, Do, T.T, Khoi, H.H, West, C.E, Hautvast, J.G.A.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; bangladesh; beta-carotene; bioconversion; Biological and medical sciences; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - administration & dosage; Clinical Nutrition; Cluster Analysis; Consumer spending; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; dietary nutrient sources; Economic factors; Economics; Epidemiology; Evaluation; Expenditures; Family Characteristics; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Food; Food consumption; Food sources; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Promotion; household expenditure; household members; household surveys; Households; Humans; Influence; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Multivariate Analysis; Nutrient deficiency; nutrient intake; Nutrition; original-article; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Phytochemicals; plant-based foods; Prevention; Public Health; Retinene; Rural areas; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Social aspects; Social classes; sociodemographic characteristics; Socioeconomic Factors; socioeconomic status; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban areas; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vietnam - epidemiology; Vitamin A; Vitamin A - administration & dosage; Vitamin A deficiency; Vitamin A Deficiency - diet therapy; Vitamin A Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin A Deficiency - prevention & control; vitamin deficiencies; Vitamin deficiency; women
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602782

Objective: To describe the household intakes of retinol and carotenoids and social economic factors determining their intakes. Subjects: Data on a total of 1001 households (771 in rural areas and 230 in urban areas) were used in the analyses. Interviewed person was household food preparer. Results: Mean (s.d.) intake of carotenoids was 4178 (3154) g/capita/day in rural and 4208 (3408) g/capita/day in urban areas and intake of retinol was 101 (275) g/capita/day in rural and 201 (470) g/capita/day in urban areas. Multivariate analyses show that the subjects in households with four or more members consume about 700 g carotenoids less compared to households with less than three members. Households with a higher expenditure (fourth quartile) consumed about 100 g retinol/day more than those with a lower expenditure (first quartile). Conclusion: Carotenoids from plant food sources is the main source of vitamin A intake of the population and its main determinants are household expenditure and size of household. Food fortification and dietary diversification with special emphasis on promotion of consumption of animal foods should be key strategies for overcoming vitamin A deficiency in Vietnam.