Vitamin A-Related policies in Iran: Document analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology; Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Departments of Health Management and Economics; Department of Global Health and Public Policy, School of Public Health; Health Equity Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: There are one-third of children in the world with Vitamin A deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin deficiency in children aged 15–23 months in Iran has increased 18 times and in rural areas. The present article aims to an analysis of related documents to the existing policies on this vitamin in our country. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive study using a quantitative content analysis approach to analyze nutritional policy documents. Results: We extracted six themes at the first stage of analysis (based on common policies in the world), which were reduced to two final themes: “Direct interventions” and “Indirect interventions.” There were also six subthemes and eight issues. Conclusions: It seems that policymaking must revise these documents and also making new policy decision with more emphasis on micronutrient.

Keywords

1.
Bailey RL, West KP Jr., Black RE. The epidemiology of global micronutrient deficiencies. Ann Nutr Metab 2015;66 Suppl 2:22-33.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Tanumihardjo, S.A.,et al., Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND)-Vitamin A Review. The Journal of nutrition, 2016. 146 (9): p. 1816S-48S.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
WHO. Guideline: Vitamin A supplementation for infants and children 6-59 months of age. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2011 (http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/guidelines/vas_6to59_months/en/).  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Darnton-Hill I. Public health aspects in the prevention and control of vitamin deficiencies. Curr Dev Nutr 2019;3:nzz075.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Pouraram, H.,et al., Second National Integrated Micronutrient Survey in Iran: Study Design and Preliminary Findings. Arch Iran Med, 2018. 21 (4): p. 137-144  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
. Bruins M, Kraemer K. Public health programmes for vitamin A deficiency control. Community Eye Health 2013;26:69-70.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.
Gillespie SM. Controlling Vitamin A Deficiency − Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No. 14. A Report Based on the ACC/SCN Consultative Group Meeting on Strategies for the Control of Vitamin A Deficiency 28 − 30 July 1993, Ottawa, Canada; 1994.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.
Ltd BP. Evaluation, policy learning and evidence-based policy making. Public Administ 2001;80:22.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.
Browen AG. Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Res J 2009;9:13.  Back to cited text no. 9
    
10.
Ahmed J. Documentary research method: New dimensions. Indus J Manag Soc Sci 2010;4:1-14.  Back to cited text no. 10
    
11.
Azline A, Iszaid I, Syahira S, Awad H, Juni MH. Policy arena of health policy-marking process in developing countries. International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences, 2018. 5: p. 32-48  Back to cited text no. 11
    
12.
Walt GS, Schneider H, Murray SF, Brugha R, Gilson L. Doing' health policy analysis: Methodological and conceptual reflections and challenges. Health Policy Planning 2008;23:9.  Back to cited text no. 12
    
13.
Dobrow MJ, Goel V, Upshur RE. Evidence-based health policy: Context and utilisation. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:207-17.  Back to cited text no. 13
    
14.
Underwood, B.A., Dietary Approaches to the Control of Vitamin A Deficiency: An Introduction and Overview. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 2000. 21 (2): p. 117-123.  Back to cited text no. 14
    
15.
Institute of Medicine Committee on Micronutrient, D., in Prevention of Micronutrient Deficiencies: Tools for Policymakers and Public Health Workers, C.P. Howson, E.T. Kennedy, and A. Horwitz, Editors. 1998, National Academies Press (US)  Back to cited text no. 15
    
16.
Policy Monitoring and Evaluation.http://www.oecd.org/gov/policy-monitoring-evaluation.htm (available April 2020  Back to cited text no. 16
    
17.
Greiner, T. (2017). Combatting vitamin a deficiency: Overcoming obstacles to optimize the food-based approach. World Nutritionhttps://doi.org/10.26596/wn.201782151-206.  Back to cited text no. 17
    
18.
Bahreynian M, Qorbani M, Naderimagham S, Nejatinamini S, Ataie-Jafari A, Sharifi F, et al. Burden of disease attributable to vitamin A deficiency in Iranian population aged less than five years: Findings from the global burden of disease study 2010. J Diabetes Metab Disord 2017;16:32.  Back to cited text no. 18
    
19.
Sommer A. Vitamin A deficiency. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences; 2001.  Back to cited text no. 19
    
20.
Lee AJ, Darcy AM, Leonard D, Groos AD, Stubbs CO, Lowson SK, et al. Food availability, cost disparity and improvement in relation to accessibility and remoteness in Queensland. Aust N Z J Public Health 2002;26:266-72.  Back to cited text no. 20