American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 48, 1490-1496, Copyright © 1988 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Serum retinol levels of persons aged 4-74 years from three Hispanic groups

AC Looker, CL Johnson and BA Underwood
Division of Health Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782.

Previous research suggests that Hispanics in this country may have poor vitamin A status. Using serum retinol data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined the vitamin A status of Mexican Americans (MA), Cubans, and Puerto Ricans (PR) aged 4-74 y. MA had lower mean serum retinol levels and higher prevalences of serum retinol in the range of 0.70-1.01 mumol/L than did Cubans in several age-sex groups. The prevalence (or percentage) of serum retinol in a range indicating possible risk of functional impairment was not elevated in any of the Hispanic groups except the females aged 18-44 y. However, a high percentage of children and adolescents in the three Hispanic groups had serum retinol values in ranges that might indicate less-than-optimal vitamin A status. Determination of vitamin A status requires a more definitive assessment than by serum vitamin A alone.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Hogstrom, A. Nordstrom, and P. Nordstrom Retinol, retinol-binding protein 4, abdominal fat mass, peak bone mineral density, and markers of bone metabolism in men: the Northern Osteoporosis and Obesity (NO2) Study Eur. J. Endocrinol., May 1, 2008; 158(5): 765 - 770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Gillespie, C. Ballew, B. A Bowman, R. Donehoo, and M. K Serdula Intraindividual variation in serum retinol concentrations among participants in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2004; 79(4): 625 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Neuhouser, C. L. Rock, A. L. Eldridge, A. R. Kristal, R. E. Patterson, D. A. Cooper, D. Neumark-Sztainer, L. J. Cheskin, and M. D. Thornquist Serum Concentrations of Retinol, {alpha}-Tocopherol and the Carotenoids Are Influenced by Diet, Race and Obesity in a Sample of Healthy Adolescents J. Nutr., August 1, 2001; 131(8): 2184 - 2191. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Ballew, B. A Bowman, A. L Sowell, and C. Gillespie Serum retinol distributions in residents of the United States: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2001; 73(3): 586 - 593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. B Stephensen and G. Gildengorin Serum retinol, the acute phase response, and the apparent misclassification of vitamin A status in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2000; 72(5): 1170 - 1178. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. M. Winklhofer-Roob, M. A. v.'t Hof, and D. H. Shmerling Reference values for plasma concentrations of vitamin E and A and carotenoids in a Swiss population from infancy to adulthood, adjusted for seasonal influences Clin. Chem., January 1, 1997; 43(1): 146 - 153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]