title: Growth and body composition of periurban Guatemalan children in relation to zinc status: a longitudinal zinc intervention trial.
abstract: Changes in growth, body composition, and zinc indexes were evaluated after 25 wk in a double-blind zinc-supplementation study of 162 periurban Guatemalan children aged 81.5 +/- 7.0 mo (mean +/- SD). Children receiving the zinc supplement (10 mg Zn/d as amino acid chelate) for 90.1 +/- 9.2 d had higher mean fasting plasma zinc (16.2 +/- 2.9 vs 14.9 +/- 2.1 mumol/L, P < 0.01), a greater increase in median triceps skinfold Z score (0.50 vs 0.38, P < 0.05), and a smaller deficit in median midarm circumference (MAC) Z score (-0.03 vs -0.20, P < 0.05) compared with the placebo group. Initial hair zinc classified as < 1.68 and > 1.68 mumol/g was the only laboratory variable that explained some of the variance in final Z scores of midarm-muscle area (P < 0.05) and MAC (P < 0.01). Children responded to the zinc supplement with changes in indexes of body composition rather than growth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Human Nutrition, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Cavan
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Grazioso
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Isalgue
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruz
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Solomons
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006166:Guatemala; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010919:Placebos; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D015032:Zinc