Consumption of Red Palm Oil and Relationships with Vitamin A Status, Region, and Household Characteristics in a National Survey of Women and Young Children in Cameroon

Abstract

Objectives: Red palm oil (RPO) is an important plant source of vitamin A (VA) in Cameroon, where ~210,000 tons were produced in 2011. We conducted a national survey of children and women to assess the prevalence of VA deficiency, frequency and amount of RPO consumption and factors associated with RPO consumption. Methods: 1002 households, each with a child 12-59 mo and a woman 15-49 y, were enrolled in a nationally-representative cluster survey with 3 strata (North, South, Cities). VA status was assessed by inflammation-adjusted plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP). RPO consumption was measured by FFQ and 24 h recall. Results: 35% of children had low adjusted RBP. 54.9% of children and 57.8% of women consumed RPO the previous week, with a mean frequency of 12.2 times/week and 8.7 times /week among consumers, respectively. Median RPO consumption (among consumers) on the previous day was 10.7 g/d for children and 21.4 g/d for women, contributing ~1/3 of total VA intake nationally. RPO consumption was greater among women and children in the South compared with the North and Cities, but did not vary by socio-economic group. Weekly frequency of RPO intake was positively correlated with adjusted RBP among women and children nationally; however, at the regional level, the relationship was significant only among women in the South. Conclusions: Promoting RPO consumption is a potential strategy to increase VA intakes in Cameroon without increasing the risk of excessive intake. Formative research is needed to understand barriers to RPO consumption.