{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T07:54:10Z","timestamp":1790927650118,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]],"date-time":"2026-08-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786233600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":8,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]],"date-time":"2026-08-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785542400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Health Science Reports"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background and Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in developing countries including Ethiopia. Thus, its prevalence and associated factors in each locality is essential for tackling the problem since the cause differs across geographical areas and community to community. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency and associated factors among preschool children aged 24\u201359 months in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A Community\u2010based cross\u2010sectional study design was conducted from April 1 to April 30\/2022. A total of 607 preschool children aged 24\u201359 months were enrolled through a simple random sampling technique. Data on clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency (xerophthalmia) were collected via detailed clinical histories and physical eye examinations conducted by trained ophthalmic personnel. No biochemical testing of serum retinol was performed. Data was collected through an interviewer\u2010administered structured and pre\u2010tested questionnaire. Bivariate (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2010Value\u2009&lt;\u20090.25) and multivariable (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2010Value\u2009&lt;\u20090.05) binary logistic regression analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association between the outcome and independent variables. The Multicollinearity test was checked using VIF\u2009&lt;\u200910. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test was fitted (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.79).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Five hundred and ninety\u2010one children aged 24\u201359 months were included in the study, giving a response rate of 97.4%. The overall prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency among children aged 24\u201359 months was 3.7% [95%CI; (2.3\u20135.6], comprising night blindness (2.2%), Bitot's spots (1.35%), and superficial corneal ulceration (0.15%), while conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, and corneal scars exhibited zero prevalence. The odds of vitamin A deficiency were 4.89 [95% CI: 1.63\u201314.71] times higher among children whose mothers did not have postnatal care visits. Children aged 48\u201359 months were 5.43 (95% CI: 1.40, 21.0) times more likely to develop vitamin A deficiency compared with those children aged 24\u201335 months. Children who had been ill in the past 2 weeks were 5.85 [95%CI: 1.84, 18.59] times more likely to develop clinical vitamin A deficiency.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency was relatively high as compared to the national figures, indicating a moderate public health problem according to World Health Organization criteria. Targeted, practical preventative interventions to minimize clinical vitamin A deficiency should be designed, and future large\u2010scale biochemical studies evaluating serum retinol levels are recommended.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/hsr2.72994","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T03:45:17Z","timestamp":1786333517000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence of Clinical Vitamin A Deficiency and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 24\u201359 Months in Finote Selam Town, Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross\u2010Sectional Study, 2022"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Molla","family":"Mekuria","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dega Damot District Health Office Amhara Regional State Health Bureau Amhara Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6129-4131","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Getachew Tesfaw","family":"Walle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Science Bahir Dar University Bahir Dar Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zewdie","family":"Aderaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Science Debre Markos University Debre Markos Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mekuriaw Alemu","family":"Tenaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Science Debre Markos University Debre Markos Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Etsehiwot Debe","family":"Worku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Shoa Health Department Amhara Regional State Health Bureau Amhara Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1505-2500","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Melese Linger","family":"Endalifer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Nutrition, College of Medicine and Health Science Debre Markos University Debre Markos Ethiopia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_14_2_1","unstructured":"WHO Global Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency in Populations at Risk 1995\u20102005: WHO Global Database on Vitamin A Deficiency.2009."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-59745-464-3_13"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_4_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Handbook of vitamins","author":"Olson J. A.","year":"2001"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_5_1","unstructured":"UN WHO and UNICEF Global Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency. (World Health Organization 1995)."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/JMDH.S279571"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4314\/eamj.v79i7.8838"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_8_1","volume-title":"Indicators for Assessing Vitamin A Deficiency and Their Application in Monitoring and Evaluating Intervention Programmes","author":"Unit, N. and W.H. 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Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices Part 3: Country Profiles.2010."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2020\/5095620"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S136898001100214X"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_14_25_1","first-page":"61","article-title":"Dietary Deficiency of Vitamin A Among Rural Children: A Community\u2010Based Survey Using a Food\u2010Frequency Questionnaire","volume":"30","author":"Suri S.","year":"2017","journal-title":"National Medical Journal of India"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_26_1","first-page":"9","volume-title":"Indicators for Assessing Vitamin A Deficiency and Their Application in Monitoring and Evaluating Intervention Programmes","author":"WHO","year":"1994"}],"container-title":["Health Science Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/hsr2.72994","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/hsr2.72994","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/hsr2.72994","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T07:13:26Z","timestamp":1790925206000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/hsr2.72994"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"references-count":25,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/hsr2.72994"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/hsr2.72994","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2398-8835","2398-8835"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2398-8835","type":"print"},{"value":"2398-8835","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-10-22","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-07-31","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-08-09","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e72994"}}