Evaluating equity dimensions of infant and child vitamin A supplementation programmes using Demographic and Health Surveys from 49 countries |
Authors: |
Kevin Tang, Hallie Eilerts, Annette Imohe, Katherine P Adams, Fanny Sandalinas, Grainne Moloney, Edward Joy, and Andreas Hasman |
Source: |
BMJ Open, Volume 13; DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062387 |
Topic(s): |
Child health Health equity Vitamin A
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Country: |
More than one region
Multiple Regions
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Published: |
MAR 2023 |
Abstract: |
Objectives: Vitamin A deficiency affects an estimated 29% of all children under 5?years of age in low/middle-income countries, contributing to child mortality and exacerbating severity of infections. Biannual vitamin A supplementation (VAS) for children aged 6–59 months can be a low-cost intervention to meet vitamin A needs. This study aimed to present a framework for evaluating the equity dimensions of national VAS programmes according to determinants known to affect child nutrition and assist programming by highlighting geographical variation in coverage.
Methods: We used open-source data from the Demographic and Health Survey for 49 countries to identify differences in VAS coverage between subpopulations characterised by various immediate, underlying and enabling determinants of vitamin A status and geographically. This included recent consumption of vitamin A-rich foods, access to health systems and services, administrative region of the country, place of residence (rural vs urban), socioeconomic position, caregiver educational attainment and caregiver empowerment.
Results: Children who did not recently consume vitamin A-rich foods and who had poorer access to health systems and services were less likely to receive VAS in most countries despite potentially having a greater vitamin A need. Differences in coverage were also observed when disaggregated by administrative regions (88% of countries) and urban versus rural residence (35% of countries). Differences in vitamin A coverage between subpopulations characterised by other determinants of vitamin A status varied considerably between countries.
Conclusion: VAS programmes are unable to reach all eligible infants and children, and subpopulation differences in VAS coverage characterised by various determinants of vitamin A status suggest that VAS programmes may not be operating equitably in many countries. |
Web: |
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e062387.info |
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