Zinc deficiency among a healthy population in Baghdad, Iraq.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of zinc deficiency and the current zinc status among a sample selected from the healthy population in Baghdad, Iraq.


METHODS
We carried out a community-based study in Baghdad City, Iraq from November through June 2002. We selected a sample of 2090 healthy subjects (aged 1 month to 85 years). We used a pre-tested questionnaire, designed to obtain information on gender, birth dates, height, weight, residence, habitual food consumption patterns, and social status. We performed laboratory assessment of serum zinc level, dietary assessment of food frequency and usual zinc intake. We considered subjects with serum zinc concentration of <7.7 umol/l zinc deficient and >/-7.7 to 12.3 umol/l mild to moderately zinc deficient.


RESULTS
The prevalence of zinc deficiency among the studied sample was 2.7%. We found mild to moderate zinc deficiency among 55.7% of the study sample. Dietary zinc intake assessment showed that 74.8% of the studied sample consumed less than the recommended intake, and in 62.3%, the intakes were deficient and grossly deficient. Mean daily zinc ranged from 5.2 mg in children to 8.5 mg in adults.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed a high prevalence of mild to moderate zinc deficiency, with inadequate dietary zinc intake among a considerable proportion of the studied sample. Zinc supplementation may be an effective public health intervention means to improve the zinc status of the population.
Al-Timimi
Dhia J
DJ
Department of Physiological Chemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Iraq.
Al-Sharbatti
Shatha S
SS
Al-Najjar
Farouk
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D017967:Zinc Compounds; D015032:Zinc