Relationship between zinc levels, anthropometric parameters and socio-demographic status among primary school pupils in a semi-urban community in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Zinc plays important roles in many biological processes in the body such as acting as a catalyst for numerous enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism cellular replication tissue repair and the growth of tissues hence, the study was aimed to determine the relationship between zinc levels, anthropometric parameters and socio-demographic status among primary school pupils. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive design carried out among four hundred primary school pupils between the ages 6-12 years in Ogbomoso. Questionnaires were distributed to obtain socio-demographic information from pupils and blood was collected for serum zinc analysis using ELISA technique. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 Results: The level of serum zinc deficiency in the study population was 9.5%. Serum zinc levels are significantly higher among younger age groups compared to older age groups (F=6.913, p value=0.001). The family size and socio-economic class are significantly associated with zinc levels. Zinc level was significantly lower in underweight children (0.389±0.25) compared to normal weight (0.819±0.39), overweight (0.991±0.62) and obese children (0.654±0.41), F=7.264, p=0.001 Conclusions: Zinc deficiency is an important component of nutritionally related morbidity worldwide. Zinc supplementation or food fortification among school children will have beneficial effects on the incidence and outcome of serious childhood infectious diseases.