Knowledge of the importance of Vitamin A and awareness of its deficiency among parents of preschool children: A hospital-based study

Purpose: The prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the highest in India among the South Asian countries. Suspected causes for this are insufficient dietary intake, lack of education, and a poor monitoring and surveillance system. Awareness regarding VAD is a must, especially among the parents of preschool children who are the most susceptible to its adverse effects. We aimed to assess the knowledge of Vitamin A, analyze awareness of its deficiency, and study the practice of prophylaxis against VAD among the parents of preschool children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 385 participants (Cochran's formula). Guardians or parents of children in the preschool age group were included. A scoring system was applied to the questionnaire distributed to each participant to objectively assess the answers. Results: 243/385 (63.12%) of the participants had heard of Vitamin A. Of those who had heard of the vitamin, 111/243 (45.68%) were not aware of a single source of Vitamin A. The mean score obtained for the assessment of VAD was 3.29/11, which indicates a low score. Section B assessed the knowledge on VAD, and the mean score obtained was 3.29/11. All 385 respondents were assessed on the consumption of Vitamin A-rich foods. Of these, 160 (41.56%) demonstrated an average practice, or a score between 7 and 10. Very good practice was demonstrated by only 18 (4.68%). Conclusion: Overall, a low level of awareness of Vitamin A and its deficiency exists among the population. Despite this, an average practice of Vitamin A food consumption was demonstrated.