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A Population-Based Study of Xerophthalmia in the Extreme North Province of Cameroon, West Africa
M. Roy Wilson, MD, MS;
Mohamed Mansour, PhD;
Atina Emmanuel Atud, MS;
Richard Casey, MD;
Grace Fobi, MD, MPH;
Ernest Moukouri, MD;
Wondu Alemayehu, MD, MPH;
James F. Martone, MD, MPH;
Dennis Ross-Degnan, ScD
Arch Ophthalmol. 1996;114(4):464-468.
Abstract
Objective
To obtain cross-sectional data on clinical and nutritional vitamin A deficiency from which to design appropriate intervention strategies.
Design
A population-based survey using multistage, cluster sampling.
Setting
Extreme North Province of Cameroon, West Africa.
Participants
Children aged 0 to 5 years.
Main Outcome Measures
Clinical signs of active xerophthalmia and dietary vitamin A intake.
Results
Of 5352 children examined, signs of active xerophthalmia were noted in 0.62%. Bitot's spots, corneal xerosis, and corneal ulceration were noted in 0.47%, 0.06%, and 0.12% of the subjects, respectively. Children with xerophthalmia had lower vitamin A intake scores when compared with age-matched controls and with a 20% systematic subsample of children.
Conclusion
Xerophthalmia is a major public health problem in this region.
Author Affiliations
From the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, Calif, and the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California—Los Angeles (Drs Wilson and Casey); US Agency for International Development Office of Nutrition, Washington, DC (Dr Mansour); Ministry of Nutrition (Mr Atud) and Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon, Yaounde, West Africa (Drs Fobi and Moukouri); Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) University (Dr Alemayehu); Orbis International, New York City (Dr Martone); and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (Dr Ross-Degnan).
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