Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Zinc Deficiency among Young Children in Rural Burkina Faso
Cesaire Ouedraogo *
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso and University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Elodie Becquey
University of California, Davis, CA, USA and Helen Keller International, New York, NY, USA.
Sonja Hess
University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Lea Prince
University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Noel Rouamba
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Jean-Bosco Ouedraogo
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Steve Vosti
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Kenneth Brown
University of California, Davis, CA, USA and Helen Keller International, New York, NY, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of zinc deficiency among young children in rural south-western Burkina Faso.
Methods: We collected socio-economic, demographic, feeding practice and morbidity information from a sample of 473 children 6-18 mo of age residing in southern Orodara health district; and measured plasma zinc concentration (PZC) by ICP-AES and C-reactive protein and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein by ELISA to adjust PZC for inflammation. Zinc deficiency was defined as PZC ˂ 65µg/L. Associations between selected risk factors and low PZC were screened in bivariate analyses and assessed by generalized multivariable logistic regression.
Results: Mean adjusted PZC was 68.4±13.1 ug/L, and the prevalence of zinc deficiency was 43.5% [95%CI: 38.4-48.7]. The odds of zinc deficiency was significantly higher in households with no livestock ownership as compared to the two highest quintiles of livestock ownership (OR= 2.4- 2.5, p<0.05) and when more households shared the family compound (OR= 1.8, p<0.026 for 3-4 households as compared to 1 household per compound). Religion was also associated with zinc deficiency, but recent child morbidity history and feeding practices were not.
Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of zinc deficiency among young children in rural southwestern Burkina Faso, especially among children living in large family compounds. Homestead livestock rearing and possibly some religious/cultural habits may reduce the risk of zinc deficiency.