SERUM RETINOL IS INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL-FACTORS AND ANTIOXIDANT NUTRIENTS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN URBAN BANGLADESH

The extent to which socio-economic and personal characteristics might interact with zinc and selected antioxidant nutrients to influence ser um retinol has been determined in adolescent girls in urban Bangladesh . Two hundred and twenty-five girls, aged between 12 and 15 years, fro m four girl's high schools participated in the study. Information on t heir social status was collected by questionnaire and a single sample of blood was analysed for retinol, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, zinc, copper, total cholesterol and serum protein. Of the subjects, 11% had evidence of marginal vitamin A deficiency (retinol < 30 mu g/dl), 2% o f marginal vitamin E deficiency (alpha-tocopherol < 400 mu g/dl) and 1 6% were vitamin C deficient (vitamin C < 0.29 mg/dl). About two-thirds of the participants had levels of serum zinc which were subnormal (<7 0.0 mu g/dl). The subjects were divided into three groups on the basis of the serum retinol concentration and the third with the lowest seru m retinol had significantly lower serum protein, cholesterol, alpha-to copherol and alpha-tocopherol: cholesterol ratio. A significant positi ve correlation was observed between serum retinol and serum alpha-toco pherol, serum cholesterol and serum zinc; while there was a negative c orrelation with serum copper. Serum retinol was entered as the depende nt variable in a multiple regression analysis and the overall F-ratio (8.7) was highly significant (P = 0.0000), the adjusted R-square was 0 .152 (multiple R = 0.415). Family income, expenditure on food, fathers ' education, serum alpha-tocopherol and serum copper were found to hav e a significant independent relationship with serum retinol.