Zinc and iron deficiency and their interrelations in low-income African American and Hispanic children in Atlanta

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition 2010-04, Vol.91 (4), p.1027-1034
• Main Authors: Cole, Conrad R, Grant, Frederick K, Swaby-Ellis, E. Dawn, Smith, Joy L, Jacques, Anne, Northrop-Clewes, Christine A, Caldwell, Kathleen L, Pfeiffer, Christine M, Ziegler, Thomas R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African Americans; Anemia; anemia (disease); Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - ethnology; anthropometric measurements; Biological and medical sciences; Black or African American; Blacks; Body Height; C-reactive protein; child nutrition; Child, Preschool; copper; Cross-Sectional Studies; deficiency diseases; Deficiency Diseases - blood; Deficiency Diseases - ethnology; Diet; Diet Records; dietary minerals; dietary nutrient sources; dietary surveys; disease incidence; Edible Grain; ethnic differences; Feeding. Feeding behavior; ferritin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Georgia - epidemiology; grain foods; height; hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - metabolism; Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic people; Hispanics; Humans; Infant; iron; Iron - blood; Iron Deficiencies; Logistic Models; Low income groups; low income households; Meat Products; nutrient deficiencies; Nutrition; Nutritional epidemiology and public health; nutritional status; Nutritional Status - ethnology; Odds Ratio; Original Research Communications; Poverty; Preschool children; Prevalence; Regression analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin deficiency; Zinc; Zinc - blood; Zinc - deficiency
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28089

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. DESIGN: 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 (