Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil ()

Brazilian studies on zinc deficiency and supplementation: emphasis on children

  • Dixis Figueroa Pedraza,
  • Márcia Crisitina Sales

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-93042017000200002
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 2
pp. 217 – 232

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Objectives: to review the literature of studies developed in Brazil on zinc deficiency and the effects of supplementation. Methods: a literature review based on bibliographic research was carried out in SciELO, LILACS and MEDLINE/PUBMED databases. A total of 133 studies on zinc deficiency and 116 on the effects of supplementation were identified. Thirty-two articles, 16 of which were observational and 16 interventional, were analyzed. Results: the studies focused mainly on children (75.0% of the observational and 81.25% of the experimental studies). Biochemical deficiency of zinc in children presented great variability, from 0.0% to 74.3%, with expressive prevalence in most studies. Dietary inadequacy among children presented variability from 16.6% to 46.0%. Five from seven studies showed a positive effect of zinc supplementation on micronutrient nutritional status. Conclusions: there is evidence of zinc deficiency in children as a public health problem, preventable through micronutrient supplementation.

Keywords