Asian Journal of Clinical Nutrition1992-14702077-2033Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/ajcn.2017.1.8JaryumKiri H. OkoyeZebulon S.C. StoeckerBarbara J. 1201791Background: A survey of rural population of Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) North-central Nigeria for zinc deficiency was undertaken following the outcome of a pilot survey which suggested a prevalence of morphological and other clinical indicators of zinc deficiency among under-five years children. Objective: The objective of this study was to carry out a formal systematic investigation of zinc status of the under-five children of Kanam, North-central Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Incidence of zinc deficiency in the study area was determined by measuring plasma zinc, a biomarker of zinc status, in the most vulnerable group of the population, the under-5-year children and carrying out a household food consumption survey. Sixty six blood samples were collected from under-5-year children of randomly selected households across the LGA and analysed for zinc content by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS). The households of the under-5 children were surveyed for the pattern and frequency of consumption of selected zinc-rich foods and for incidence of zinc deficiency related illnesses among the under-5 subjects by means of questionnaire. The resultant plasma zinc data were analysed statistically by the students t-test on SPSS version 17.0, the relationship between plasma zinc data of the under-5 subjects and their zinc-rich food consumption patterns was analysed by Pearsons correlation analysis. Results: Mean plasma zinc concentration, 57.59±30.40 μg dL1, was significantly below the normal. Thirty nine or 59.09% of the 66 under-5 subjects had plasma zinc content below the 61 μg dL1 cut-off point for zinc deficiency. Incidence of zinc deficiency, as determined by plasma zinc was higher among male than female subjects. Conclusion: The results indicate a high incidence of zinc deficiency in the studied population. The population is therefore, at risk of zinc deficiency. There is a significant negative (r = -0.65) correlation between pattern of consumption of zinc-rich diet and zinc status, suggesting that prevalence of zinc deficiency may be due to zinc deficient staple diet. The risk of zinc deficiency is high enough and calls for a national intervention programme through public health nutrition interventions to improve the zinc status.]]>King, J.C. and R.J. Cousins,20142014pp: 189-205pp: 189-205Maret, W.,20132013pp:479-501pp:479-501Gibson, R.S.,20123772782Black, R.E. and W.C. Fischer,20122012pp: 37-42pp: 37-42Aggarwal, R., J. Sentz and M.A. Miller,200711911201130Hambidge, K.M., L.V. Miller and N.F. Krebs,20122012pp: 27-36pp: 27-36Wessells, K.R. and K.H. Brown,20122012Prasad, A.S.,20134176190Khalid, N., A. Ahmed, M.S. Bhatti, M.A. Randhawa, A. Ahmad and R. Rafaqat, 20145412221240Maziya-Dixon, B., I.O. Akinyele, E.B. Oguntona, S. Nokoe, R.A. Sanusi and E. Harris,2004Pages: 67Pages: 67International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group,200425S130S162NPC and ICF.,20142014Ubom, G.A.,1991107111Das, S.C., A.Z. Mohammed, S.U. Al-Hassan, A.A. Otokwula and U.P. Isichei,2007227983Jaryum, K.H.,20152015Gibson, R.S.,20052nd Edn.,pp: 9-13pp: 9-13IZiNCG.,20072007Rodushkin, I., E. Engstrom, D. Sorlin and D. Baxter,2008392290304De Benoist, B., I. Darnton-Hill, L. Davidsson, O. Fontaine and C. Hotz,200728S480S484De Benoist, B., I. Darnton-Hill, L. Davidsson and O. Fontaine,200728S399S484Hotz, C., J.M. Peerson and K.H. Brown,200378756764Hess, S.Y., J.M. Peerson, J.C. King and K.H. Brown,200728S403S429Dommarcom, J.R., T.S. Levy, S.V. Hernandez, T.G. de Cossio, B.H. Prado and J. Sepulveda,2001Pages: 230Pages: 230Thu, B.D., W. Schultink, D. Dillon, R. Gross, N.D. Leswara and H.H. Khoi,1999698086Sazawal, S., R.E. Black, M. Ramsan, H.M. Chwaya and A. Dutta et al.,2007369927934Engle-Stone, R., A.O. Ndjebayi, M. Nankap, D.W. Killilea and K.H. Brown,2014144382391Kumera, G., T. Awoke, T. Melese, S. Eshetie and G. Mekuria et al.,20152015Cavan, K.R., R.S. Gibson, C.F. Grazioso, A.M. Isalgue, M. Ruz and N.W. Solomons,199357334343Cavan, K.R., R.S. Gibsone, C.F. Grazioso, A.M. Isalgue, M. Ruz and N.W. Solomons,199357344352Beinner, M.A., M.A. de Barros Correia Menezes, J.B.B. da Silva, F.R. de Amorim, A.K. Jansen and J.A. Lamounier,2010237583Favaro, R.M.D. and H. Vannucchi,199024510