Zinc nutritional status in children attending public daycare centers in the state of Paraíba, Brazil

ObjectiveThis study assessed the zinc levels of children attending public daycare centers in the state of Paraíba. Brazil.MethodsThe zinc levels of 235 preschool children were evaluated through serum zinc concentration, dietary zinc intake and height-for-age, as recommended by the International Zinc...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: FIGUEROA PEDRAZA, Dixis, ROCHA, Ana Carolina Dantas, QUEIROZ, Everton Oliveira de, SOUSA, Carolina Pereira da Cunha
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Brasil
Institución:Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-CAMPINAS)
Repositorio:Revista de Nutrição
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br:article/9625
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/9625
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Child day care centers
Nutritional status
Child, preschool
Zinc
Creches
Estado nutricional
Pré-escolar
Zinco
Descripción
Sumario:ObjectiveThis study assessed the zinc levels of children attending public daycare centers in the state of Paraíba. Brazil.MethodsThe zinc levels of 235 preschool children were evaluated through serum zinc concentration, dietary zinc intake and height-for-age, as recommended by the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group. Baseline zinc levels in the serum were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, considering values <65µmol/ L indicative of zinc deficiency. The 24-hour recall method was used to record food consumption, considering the food consumption of the child the day before and in the daycare center. Zinc inadequacy was analyzed according to the estimated average zinc requirement by life stage and diet type recommended by the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group. The World Health Organization Growth Reference was used as the reference for the height-for-age indices. Children with indices two z-scores below the median value of the reference population were considered stunted. Statistical analysis was performed by the t-test or analysis of variance by the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences -16.0.ResultsThe prevalence of inadequate serum zinc concentration, inadequate zinc intakes and stunting were 16.2%, 16.6% and 7.7%, respectively. Mean serum zinc was lower in children of underweight mothers than in children of normal weight mothers.ConclusionThe studied children presented moderate risk of zinc deficiency because there was a significant prevalence of low serum zinc concentrations, inadequate zinc intakes and stunting. Also, some children were chronically malnourished.