title: Growth and body composition of periurban Guatemalan children in relation to zinc status: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: In a study of periurban Guatemalan school-children (89 males, 73 females) aged 81.5 +/- 7.0 mo (mean +/- SD), height, weight, arm circumference, and triceps-skinfold-thickness (TSF) measurements were examined in relation to plasma and hair zinc concentrations, plasma and red blood cell alkaline phosphatase activities, recognition thresholds for salt (RTS), delayed-cutaneous hypersensitivity response to seven recall skin test antigens, and cognitive measures. Children were stunted [median height-for-age (HA) Z score -1.49] but not wasted [median weight-for-height (WH) Z score 0.20], with median midarm muscle area (MAMA) and midarm-fat area (MAFA) Z scores of -0.57 and -0.35, respectively. Of the children, 63.5% of males and 44.1% of females had hair zinc < 1.68 mumol/g (P < 0.05); 12.3% of males and 1.5% of females had plasma zinc < 10.71 mumol/L (P < 0.05). Children with hair zinc < 1.68 mumol/g had higher (P < 0.05) medians for WA Z and WH Z scores, RTS, and phytic acid intake than did those with hair zinc > or = 1.68 mumol/g. Zinc status explained some of the variance in growth (HA, WA, and WH Z scores), body composition (MAFA Z scores), and taste acuity. Suboptimal zinc status arose partly from diets low in readily available zinc.
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: D000375:Aging; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006166:Guatemala; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D014505:Urban Population; D015430:Weight Gain; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D015032:Zinc