ZINC NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN SELECTED COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHERN GHANA

SUMMARY

Zinc is a micronutrient indispensable for growth, development, reproduction, and for the activities of over 200 enzymes embracing all physiological activities. Zinc deficiency in the preschool age group therefore leads to growth faltering, wasting, stunting and general degeneration in physiological activities.

In rural areas of Egypt and Iran where zinc deficiency was first identified, dietary factors of plant origin ( especially phytic acid and fibre), which impair zinc absorption, were the main etiological factors of zinc deficiency. For the fact that recent studies have suggested that zinc deficiency might be as alarming as iron deficiency and the fact that zinc deficiency predominates in populations which subsist largely on vegetable diet with little animal protein, it was felt that this study, is both relevant and necessary in the Ghanaian context.

Studies were carried out in 4 communities on 200 preschool (nursery) children aged 3 to 5 years, to determine if zinc deficiency occurs within this age group; and if it does, whether it relates in anyway to any of the anthropometric indices of the cohorts. The four communities were Ashalley Botwe, Kwabenya,( typical rural southern villages), Dome (periurban) and New Achimota (urban), all located in Greater Accra region, southern Ghana.

In the study, age and the anthropometric indicators of nutritional status ( weight, height, mid upper arm circumference, triceps, and subscapular skin-folds), and the biochemical indicators of zinc nutriture [ hair zinc, plasma zinc, red blood cell (rbc) zinc, and alkaline phosphatase activity], as well as indicators of protein nutriture (plasma protein, albumin, and A/Gratio) were determined. Results of anthropometric measurements indicated that the mean percentage of pre-schoolers affected by Wasting, Stunting and Wasting plus stunting in the four communities combined were 3.5%, 16.5%, and 1.5% respectively, with 78.5% of normal status. When the results were considered for each community, 69.6% (Ashalley Botwe), 81.2% (Kwabenya), 80.9% (Dome), and 84.1% (New Achimota), respectively, were of normal stature. Percentage wasting was 3.6%, 0%, 4.4% and 4.5% while stunting levels were 25%, 18.8%, 13.2%, and 9.1% respectively. The percentage wasting plus stunting was 1.8%, 0%, 1.5%, and 2.3%, respectively.

Statistical analysis using Duncan's and Least significant difference (LSD) multiple comparison tests, indicated that there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the mean values for the indicators of zinc nutriture (plasma zinc, rbc zinc, hair zinc, and plasma alkaline phosphatase activity) in the different nutritional states (normal, wasted, stunted, wasted plus stunted).

Further comparison with reference values indicated that there was no zinc deficiency in any of the groups- eg. the mean plasma zinc values obtained for the normal, wasted, stunted, and wasted plus stunted groups ( for the 200 cohorts) were 1.13+0.35, 1.16 ± 0.37, 1.04 + 0.23 and 0.95 + 0.29 ppm, respectively, as compared to a normal range of 0.50-1.50ppm. The corresponding values for the hair zinc were 247.0 + 101.6, 200.9 +. 65.2, 220.0 +, 83.8 and 157.6 + 40 ppm, as compared to a normal level of >70 ppm. Also, the mean plasma, red blood cell, and hair zinc values for all the cohorts were normal. Analysis of indicators of protein nutritional status (total plasma protein, albumin, and A/G ratio) revealed that the Plasma Protein values for the various anthropometric states were within the normal reference ranges eg. the mean Albumin/Globulin ratio for the normal, wasted, stunted and wasted plus stunted groups (for the 200 cohorts) were 1.6 +0.5, 1.2 + 0.3, 1.6 + 0.5, and 1.5 + 0.5, respectively, as compared to a normal range of 1-2.5. This indicates that the protein nutritional status was adequate.

It was- concluded that there was no zinc deficiency in the cohorts, and that zinc nutritional status did not differ in the various nutritional states of the cohorts.