Abstract
Objective: Nutritional deficiency of zinc is widespread
in developing countries. India has the second largest
concentration of tribal population after that of African
continent. Limited data is available on the serum zinc
levels amongst tribal population in India.
The objective of this study is to assess the status of
serum zinc amongst tribal population in a district of
Jharkhand State, India.
Method: The study was conducted amongst tribals in
the age group of 18-75 years residing in district
Sahibganj, Jharkhand. Two blocks in the district were
selected for the detailed study keeping in view the
operational feasibility. A semi-structured pre-tested
questionnaire was utilized to collect information about
their age, sex and other socio demographic details. A
total of 944 subjects were enrolled for the present study.
Serum zinc was determined by the standard atomic
absorption spectrophotometry method.
Results: The mean age of the subjects was 34 years.
The mean serum zinc concentration of the study
subjects was 70.68 ± 26.71 µg/dl. Fifty three percent of
the study subjects had zinc deficiency (serum zinc
<70 µg/dl). The deficiency was higher in females (61.3%)
as compared to the males (38.7%).
Conclusion: The results of the present study
documented a high prevalence of zinc deficiency
amongst tribal population.
Key words: Zinc nutriture, tribals, zinc deficiency, dietary
intake
Keywords
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | February 26, 2013 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2003 Volume: 8 Issue: 2 |