Assessing Serum Concentration of Zinc among Disadvantaged Young Females 18- 30 under Cover of a Relief Foundation

Background: Nowadays, zinc deficiency is common among low and high-economic level people. Predisposing factors other than economic ones should be considered. Current study investigated the serum concentration of zinc and its correlation with different parameters among disadvantaged female population under cover of a relief foundation in Iran. Methods: In an analytical cross-sectional study, 1026 females aged 18-30, from all around of Iran were enrolled. Demographic and anthropometric data were registered and venous blood samples were collected. Serum zinc levels were compared in different groups of participants based on age, body mass index, education level and geographic region of their residence. Correlation between serum zinc and iron was investigated as well. Results: Mean serum zinc was 78.3±13.7 μg/dL. Significant difference was detected between mean serum zinc among different BMI groups (ANOVA, p=0.03), while it was not significant in different education levels and age intervals (ANOVA, p=0.61 and 0.95 respectively). Participants from two western provinces of Iran (Khoozestan and Lorestan) had significantly higher zinc level. There was a positive relationship between serum iron and zinc (Pearson correlation coefficient, r=0.1, p=0.001). Conclusion: Findings reveal the important role of socioeconomic and geographic situations and their effect on nutritional status in populations. Other researches focusing on food accessibility, eating behaviors, knowledge level and other reasons that expose poor populations to insufficient nutritional intake are recommended.