Tribal Odisha Eye Disease Study Report # 6. Opportunistic screening of vitamin A deficiency through School Sight Program in tribal Odisha (India).

PURPOSE: To explore the possibility of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) detection through School Sight Program (SSP) in a tribal district of Odisha, India.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional observational study, we tracked school children with ocular signs/symptoms of VAD to their villages. The ophthalmologist examined their under-5 siblings and other under-5 children in the village. Information pertaining to family belief and practices of food, water, sanitation, and the socioeconomic status of the family were collected.

RESULTS

The ocular features of VAD were detected in 207 of 4801 (4.3%) examined children. This included 70 children (mean age 11 ± 2.6 years) detected in the school, 22 siblings (mean age 3.2 ± 1.2 years) of these children detected at their home, and 115 children (mean age 3 ± 1.5 years) detected in their habitat. The average family size was 5.8 ± 2.02 and the birth order of the child with VAD was 2.3 ± 1.25. Most parents were farmer, living in asbestos-roofed house, depended on public underground water, and practiced open-air defecation. The distribution of VAD in 207 children was conjunctival xerosis (X1A = 207; 100% of VAD and 4.3% of all children), Bitot's spot (X1B = 169; 81.6% of VAD and 3.5% of all children), corneal scar (XS = 3; 1.4% of VAD and 0.06% of all children), and night blindness (XN = 35; 16.9% of VAD and 0.72% of all children).

CONCLUSION

An opportunistic screening for detection of VAD through a SSP could be cost-effective and complement the existing strategy.