Indexed in : Index Medicus (IMSEAR), INSDOC, NCI Current Content, Database of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, National Database in TB and Allied Diseases, IndMED, Entered in WHO CD ROM for South East Asia. ISSN- 0301-1216 Indian J. Prev. Soc. Med. Vol. 42 No.3, 2011 KNOWLEDGE OPINION AND PRACTICE OF URBAN SCHOOL CHILDREN REGARDING VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY Jaya Krishna, 1 CP Mishra, 2 MK Gupta 3 ABSTRACT Background: Vitamin-A deficiency (VAD) is an important public health problem. Education regarding various facets of Vitamin A is a paramount importance and such endeavour in the formative stage of life (viz. school age) may have long lasting effect. Objectives: (1) To assess Knowledge opinion and practice of urban school children regarding VAD. (2) To find out their association with different socio demographic variables. Methodology: A school based cross sectional design was adopted for the study. Two hundred and twenty students from level 10, 11 and 12 from two secondary schools of Varanasi were included in this study. Predesigned and pretested questionnaire was administrated to elicit pertinent information. Results: Majority (75.5%) subjects knew that Vitamin A helps in vision and 75.0% stated that its deficiency leads to night blindness ( Rataudhi). Knowledge pertaining to VAD was quite satisfactory; 90.5% knew that green leafy vegetables, milk, fruits and carrots are major sources of Vitamin A. Availability of vitamin A at public health sector was known to majority (84.1%) of study subjects .Although 89.09% subjects were in the favour of giving green leafy vegetables/milk and fruits substances rich in vitamin A to the adolescents, their actual consumption was far from being satisfactory. Schools were the major (59.17%) source of information of vitamin A. Conclusion: Considering the fact that there exist gaps in the Knowledge opinion and practice of urban school children regarding VAD, there is need and scope for IEC efforts for school children regarding vitamin A deficiency. Key words: Night blindness, Urban school children, Vitamin A deficiency. INTRODUCTION In developing countries 200–300 million children of preschool age are at risk of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). 1, 2 Severe deficiency of vitamin A is known to produce corneal xeropthalmia and blindness in children. Vitamin A prophylaxis programme was started as a short term measure to prevent blindness in children in 1970 with the primary aim of reducing blindness in children, which was a significant problem at that time. But its continuation is a subject of national debate. 3 Severe cases of VAD are rarely seen in a community survey and require a large sample size for accurate estimates of prevalence. Hospital records show a significant decline in the severe form of VAD. However in community where clinical sign of VAD are seen, sub clinical deficiency can be expected to be more common. Clinical signs of mild xeropthalmia like Bitot spots and night blindness are still seen among children of poor community. Besides ocular signs, VAD is known to produce systemic changes, of which the most significant are alterations in epithelial integrity and immune status. Evidence for an association between VAD and infection was documented by Scrimshaw, et al some thirty years ago. 4 _____________________________ 1.Research Scholar, 2.Professor & Head, 3-Resident, Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.