How common is vitamin A deficiency?

    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    Due to the many approaches by which vitamin A status has been assessed, there is large variability in the prevalence estimates for vitamin A deficiency.[1][2] However, vitamin A deficiency is most common in infants/children living in low- and middle-income countries,[3][4][5] in whom prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is approximately 30%.[6][2]

    Some conditions also increase a person’s risk of developing vitamin A deficiency. These include chronic alcohol intake, liver cirrhosis, intestinal absorption disorders like Crohn’s disease, and conditions that affect the exocrine pancreas (e.g., chronic pancreatitis).[7]

    References

    1. ^Hess SY, Wessells KR, Haile D, Rogers LM, Tan X, Barros JG, Bourassa MW, Gorstein J, Brown KHComparison of Published Estimates of the National Prevalence of Iron, Vitamin A, and Zinc Deficiency and Sources of Inconsistencies.Adv Nutr.(2023-Nov)
    2. ^World Health OrganizationGlobal prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in populations at risk 1995–2005WHO Global Database on Vitamin A Deficiency.(2009)
    3. ^Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on MicronutrientsDietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc
    4. ^Dewett D, Lam-Kamath K, Poupault C, Khurana H, Rister JMechanisms of vitamin A metabolism and deficiency in the mammalian and fly visual system.Dev Biol.(2021-Aug)
    5. ^de Souza Mesquita LM, Mennitti LV, de Rosso VV, Pisani LPThe role of vitamin A and its pro-vitamin carotenoids in fetal and neonatal programming: gaps in knowledge and metabolic pathways.Nutr Rev.(2021-Jan-01)
    6. ^Stevens GA, Bennett JE, Hennocq Q, Lu Y, De-Regil LM, Rogers L, Danaei G, Li G, White RA, Flaxman SR, Oehrle SP, Finucane MM, Guerrero R, Bhutta ZA, Then-Paulino A, Fawzi W, Black RE, Ezzati MTrends and mortality effects of vitamin A deficiency in children in 138 low-income and middle-income countries between 1991 and 2013: a pooled analysis of population-based surveys.Lancet Glob Health.(2015-Sep)
    7. ^Nosewicz J, Spaccarelli N, Roberts KM, Hart PA, Kaffenberger JA, Trinidad JC, Kaffenberger BHThe epidemiology, impact, and diagnosis of micronutrient nutritional dermatoses part 1: Zinc, selenium, copper, vitamin A, and vitamin C.J Am Acad Dermatol.(2022-Feb)