Impact Evaluation of Vitamin A Supplementation on Child Growth Outcomes in Northern Uganda: Anthropometric Measures and Hospitalization Rates Reduction

Vitamin A deficiency is a significant public health issue in Northern Uganda, affecting child growth outcomes and hospitalization rates. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 450 children aged 6-59 months, using a validated questionnaire to assess dietary intake and vitamin A status. Anthropometric measurements were taken for height-for-age z-score calculation, while hospitalization rates over the past year were recorded. Height-for-age z-scores improved by an average of 0.2 SD units in children receiving vitamin A supplementation compared to non-supplemented groups, indicating a potential positive impact on growth outcomes (p < 0.05). There was also a reduction in hospitalization rates by 30% among supplemented children. The study supports the efficacy of vitamin A supplementation programmes in improving child height-for-age z-scores and reducing hospitalization rates, suggesting potential benefits to public health strategies. Continued implementation of vitamin A supplementation programmes should be considered as a cost-effective intervention for improving child growth outcomes and reducing healthcare utilization. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.