Abstract
BackgroundZinc (Zn) deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. Accurate estimates of Zn intake would facilitate the design and implementation of effective nutritional interventions.ObjectiveWe sought to improve estimates of dietary Zn intake by evaluating staple crop Zn content and dietary Zn consumption by children under the age of 5 in 9 rural districts of Uganda.MethodsWe measured the Zn content of 581 crop samples from household farms and 167 crop samples from nearby markets, and administered food frequency questionnaires to the primary caretakers of 237 children. We estimated Zn consumption using 3 sources of crop Zn content: (i) the HarvestPlus food composition table (FCT) for Uganda, (ii) measurements from household crops, and (iii) measurements from market crops.ResultsThe Zn content of staple crops varied widely, resulting in significantly different estimates of dietary Zn intake. 41% of children appeared to be at risk when estimates were based on market-sampled crops, 23% appeared at risk when estimates were based on the HarvestPlus FCT, and 16% appeared at risk when estimates were based on samples from household farms.ConclusionThe use of FCTs to calculate Zn intake overestimated the risk of dietary inadequacy for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were produced on household farms, but underestimated the risk for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were purchased at market. More information on the Zn content of staple crops in developing countries could lead to more accurate estimates of dietary intake and associated deficiencies.
Highlights
Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread and has severe global health implications
The Zn content of staple crops varied widely, resulting in significantly different estimates of dietary Zn intake. 41% of children appeared to be at risk when estimates were based on market-sampled crops, 23% appeared at risk when estimates were based on the HarvestPlus food composition tables (FCTs), and 16% appeared at risk when estimates were based on samples from household farms
The use of FCTs to calculate Zn intake overestimated the risk of dietary inadequacy for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were produced on household farms, but underestimated the risk for children who primarily consumed staple crops that were purchased at market
Summary
Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread and has severe global health implications. Zn deficiency is associated with poor birth outcomes, reduced growth and cognitive development of infants and children, increased diarrhea and acute lower respiratory infections, and compromised immune function [1, 2, 3]. Representative samples of individual blood plasma or serum Zn concentrations can be used to estimate the risk of Zn deficiency in populations [7, 8]. Population-level Zn deficiency is often inferred from the prevalence of Zn intake below the estimated average requirement (EAR) [8, 9, 10, 4]. These estimates are calculated using surveys of a population’s dietary habits or national food balance sheets, and the “average” Zn content of these foods as reported in food composition tables (FCTs) [11].
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