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Lipid-soluble antioxidants status and some of its socio-economic determinants among pregnant Ethiopians at the third trimester

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Yared Wondmikun
Yared Wondmikun*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Gondar College of Medical Sciences, University of Gondar, PO Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
*
*Corresponding author: Email ywondmikun@yahoo.com or deangcms@telecom.net.et
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Abstract

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Objective

To determine the serum levels of three lipid-soluble antioxidants (retinol, β-carotene and α-tocopherol) in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic (ANC) in Gondar, Ethiopia.

Design

A cross-sectional study involving laboratory determination of serum levels of retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene using high-performance liquid chromatography and questionnaire-based assessment of socio-economic status.

Setting

ANC of a university teaching hospital.

Subjects

Three hundred and twenty-two healthy pregnant women in their third trimester, who attended the ANC.

Results

Mean serum levels of retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene were found to be 1.23±0.5, 25.5±0.9 and 0.21±0.09 μmol l−1, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (<1.05 μmol l−1) among pregnant women was 38.5%. Women having low retinol (vitamin A) levels were highly likely to live in earth-floored and mud-walled houses, and less likely to own a house and to have a latrine.

Conclusion

The study shows that serum levels of lipid-soluble antioxidants were low among ANC attendees in northern Ethiopia. It also indicates that some socio-economic factors (such as poor housing standard) are associated with vitamin A deficiency.

Keywords

Plasma retinolPlasma α-tocopherolPlasma β-carotenePregnant womenLipid antioxidantsMaternal nutrition
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 6 , September 2005 , pp. 582 - 587
Copyright
Copyright © The Author 2005

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