Vitamin A status in pregnant women in Iran in 2001 and its relationship with province and gestational age

Figures & data

Table 1 The mean (±SD) of plasma retinol levels in pregnant women and the percentage distribution of deficient, insufficient, suboptimal, and optimal levels

Province	N	Mean±SD (µmol/L)	Deficiency (<0.36 µmol/L) %	Insufficiency (0.36–0.7 µmol/L) %	Suboptimal (0.7–1.4 µmol/L) %	Optimal (>1.4 µmol/L) %
1. Gilan and Mazandaran	325	1.05±0.36	0.4	15.8	65.9	17.9
2. E and W Azarbajjan and Ardebil	330	1.07±0.48	9.3	11.8	51.3	27.6
3. Golestan and N. Khorasan	317	0.88±0.40	3.5	28.7	58.3	9.5
4. Semnan and Khorasan	324	1.07±0.60	1.2	24.1	52.5	22.2
5. Sistanbalochestan and S. Khorasan	257	0.92±0.47	13.2	15.6	55.6	15.6
6. Yazd, Isfahan, Chaharmahal, and N. Kerman	312	1.12±0.43	1.3	11.5	55.8	31.4
7. Boshehr, Hormozgan and S. Khuzestan	305	0.77±0.46	16.4	29.5	41.3	12.8
8. Tehran	271	0.90±0.41	7.4	19.5	61.7	11.4
9. Zanjan, Ghazvin, Ghom, and Markazi	229	1.09±0.39	2.2	9.6	63.8	24.4
10. IIam, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Hamedan, and N. Khuzestan	302	1.02±0.44	3	17.8	61.9	17.3
11. Fars, S Kerman, Kohgiloyeh, and BoyerAhmad	298	0.97±0.65	15.8	15.4	43.6	25.2
All country	3,270	1.0±0.48	6.6	18.3	55.3	19.8

Fig. 1 Percentage distribution of vitamin A status in the 11 regions of Iran.

Fig. 2 Mean vitamin A in rural and urban areas at different gestational age groups. Error bars represent 95% CI.

Table 2 The mean±SD of vitamin A (µmol/L) in pregnant women at different age groups

Age (years)	N	Mean (µmol/L)±SD
≤23	1,230	1.03±0.47*
24–28	1,064	0.99±0.5
≥29	976	0.96±0.5*
Total	3,270	0.99±0.48

p-value for the difference within the groups=0.008, One-way ANOVA test was performed.

*p-value for the difference between the two defined groups=0.006, Post Hoc ANOVA test was performed.

Table 3 Mean±SD of vitamin A (µmol/L) in pregnant women with different gestational age

Gestational age (weeks)	N	Vitamin A (mean±SD)
22–23	644	1.05±0.5*^#
24–27	602	1.01±0.48
28–31	694	0.99±0.47
32–35	691	0.96±0.47*
≥36	639	0.96±0.49^#
Total	3,270	0.99±0.48

*p=0.01 difference between two defined groups; #p=0.02 difference between two defined groups, Post Hoc test was performed.

Table 4 Mean±SD of vitamin A (µmol/L) in pregnant women with different parity

Parity	N	Mean±SD
1–4	3,051	1.00±0.48
5–8	200	0.96±0.52
9–12	19	0.91±0.69
Total	3,270	0.99±0.48

p=0.45, One-way ANOVA test was performed.