Fortifying Cooking Oil with Vitamin A in Two Rural Districts of Indonesia: Impact on Vitamin A Status of Mothers and Children.
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Date
2015
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Abstract
Objectives: To measure impact of fortifying unbranded palm oil with retinyl palmitate on vitamin A
status in poor households through two surveys, just before fortification started (four months after
the twice-yearly vitamin A capsule supplementation for children 6-59 months) and a year later.
Methods: 24 villages from a pilot area on West Java were randomly selected, and poor families
sampled. Serum retinol (adjusted for sub-clinical infections) was analyzed in lactating mothers and
their infants 6-11 months, children 12-59 months and 5-9 years and women 15-29 years, in relation
to socio-economic conditions, oil consumption, and food intake. Fortified oil was sold through
existing market channels.
Results: Fortified oil improved vitamin A intakes, contributing an estimated 34%, 77%, 55%, 42%,
50% of Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for children 12-23 months, 24-59 months, 5-9 years,
lactating and non-lactating women, respectively. Serum retinol increased by 13-17% across groups (p<0.02 except in 12-23 months). Deficiency prevalence (retinol <20 mg/dL) decreased by 67%,
64%, 96%, 89%, 79%, and 89% in infants 6-11 months, children 12-23 months, 24-59 months, 5-9
years, lactating and non-lactating women (p<0.011, all groups).
Households' non-food expenditures, housing conditions and capital assets also improved from
baseline to endline. However, in multivariate regressions, socio-economic variables did not
independently influence retinol status, whereas RNI contributions from oil positively predicted
improving retinol for children 6-59 months (p=0.003) and 5-9 years (p=0.03).
Conclusions: Fortification of cooking oil proved an effective way to reduce the vitamin A intake
gap in underprivileged women and children in rural communities.
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Sandjaja Sandjaja, Jus'at Idrus, Jahari Abas Basuni, Tilden Robert, Ernawati Fitrah, Soekarjo Damayanti, Korenromp Eline, Moench-Pfanner Regina, Soekirman Soekirman. Fortifying Cooking Oil with Vitamin A in Two Rural Districts of Indonesia: Impact on Vitamin A Status of Mothers and Children. European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety. 2015 Special issue; 5(5): 802-803.