Zinc and iron deficiency and their interrelations in low-income African American and Hispanic children in Atlanta.
BACKGROUND
Information about the zinc status of low-income minority children in the United States is lacking.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to determine the prevalence of zinc deficiency and anemia and their interrelation among low-income African American and Hispanic preschool children.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study in which a prospective 3-d food diary was completed, and hemoglobin, serum ferritin, zinc, copper, and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured. Children with elevated C-reactive protein concentrations were excluded from analysis.


RESULTS
Of 292 children recruited, 280 (mean +/- SD age: 2.5 +/- 1.2 y) qualified for analysis. One hundred forty-six (52%) children were African American and 134 (48%) were Hispanic; 202 (72%) were enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program. A low serum zinc concentration (<10.7 mumol/L) was present in 34 (12%) children, and 37 (13%) were anemic (hemoglobin < 110 g/L). African American (odds ratio: 3.47; 95% CI: 1.51, 7.96) and anemic (odds ratio: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.24, 6.90) children had an increased risk of zinc deficiency. Serum zinc correlated with hemoglobin (r = 0.24, P < 0.001). Children with a height/length less than the fifth percentile had significantly lower mean serum zinc concentrations than those with a height/length greater than the fifth percentile (12.4 +/- 1.8 compared with 13.0 +/- 2.2 micromol/L; P < 0.001). In a multiple logistic regression model, African American race-ethnicity was associated with zinc deficiency (odds ratio: 0.26; P = 0.02). The main sources of iron and zinc in the diets were meat products and cereals.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of zinc deficiency and anemia was high in this population of low-income minority children, especially among African Americans. Further investigation of the incidence of zinc deficiency and the ability of anemia to screen for it is warranted.
Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. crcole@emory.edu
Conrad R
CR
Cole
Frederick K
FK
Grant
E Dawn
ED
Swaby-Ellis
Joy L
JL
Smith
Anne
A
Jacques
Christine A
CA
Northrop-Clewes
Kathleen L
KL
Caldwell
Christine M
CM
Pfeiffer
Thomas R
TR
Ziegler
D001741:Black or African American; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D001827:Body Height; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D002523:Edible Grain; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D016015:Logistic Models; D008461:Meat Products; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000208:ethnology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc