PREVALENCEOFVITAMINADEFICIENCYAMONGCHILDRENOFUNDER AGE FIVE: A CASE STUDY OF ELEMERE COMMUNITY MORO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KWARA STATE.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to examine the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiencyamong under age five (5) children in Elemere community, Moro Local Government, Kwara State. TheobjectiveofistoidentifythevariouscausesofVitaminAdeficiency,symptomsofVitamin A deficiecy, ways of treating and preventing measures for vitamin A deficiency among children in Elemere community of Moro Local Government of Kwara State. Theresearcher employed a quantitativeresearch approach to investigate theproblem under study. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaire which was administered to nursingmothersandindividualswithrecordofvitaminAdeficiency.Thestudyconceptswere developed through literature survey that enables to find out the variables. After data analysis, it was discovered that most of the respondents are have knowledge of vitamin A deficiency and have experience the signs and symptoms vitamin A deficiecy, Prolonged dietary deprivation, Decreased bio-ability of provitamin A carotenoid and Interference with absorption or transport of Vitamin A are cause of vitamin A deficiency amongchildren,Promotingbreastmilk,DietaryFortificationandtakingofsupplementations are ways of preventing vitamin A defiiciency, fever, vomiting weight lost are some of the symptomsofdiarrhea,mostparentagreedthatvitaminAdeficiencyisfairlycommoni.e.itis not too common among under five (5) years children in Elemere community,a maximum number of the respondents agreed that Vitamin A have effect on the health of children, less numberofparentalsobelievethatvitaminAdeficiencyisamajorpublichealthproblemand most of the respondent believed that health education have impact on the prevention of vitamin A deficiency among under five year children.