Consumption and Determinants of Vitamin A Supplementation among Children Aged 6 to 59 Months in Buea and Kumba Health Districts, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Although the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Cameroon has dropped slightly in recent years, the prevalence remains high in some areas and is considered a significant public health problem in Cameroon. Nevertheless, vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among children is the best way to tackle this problem. The study aims to determine the consumption and determinants of VAS among children aged 6-59 months in Cameroon. Methods: This study was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted using a validated questionnaire from February 2023 to June 2023 in Buea and Kumba health Districts. Multistage sampling was used to select caregiver- child pair from districts implementing routine VAS program. Results: A total of 407 mothers/caregivers were recruited for this study. The proportion of VAS was 68.8%, 63.4% had adequate knowledge and 64.9% had good attitude towards VAS. Almost all the participants faced no challenges in accessing VAS services. The factors associated with VAS were the time taken (P=0.001), the means of transportation (P=0.037), access to the health facility (P=0.032), child schooling (P=0.006), knowledge on VAS (P= 0.024) and educational level of the caregivers (P=0.020). Conclusion: The VAS coverage was 68.8% below the amount recommended by WHO which is 80-90% coverage. Also, the factors associated with VAS included time taken, the means of transportation, access to the health facility, knowledge of the caregivers on VAS, child schooling, and the education level of the caregiver