Iron, Zinc, and Copper Malnutrition among Primary School Children in Lagos, Niagara

Abstract

This study assessed the iron, zinc and copper status of primary school-attending children in Lagos. A sample of 200 primary School-attending children was randomly selected using a stratified 2 – stage sampling technique. Data was collected in the 2 major seasons in Nigeria; Dry and Rainy seasons using dietary intake (24 hr dietary recall protocol) venipuncture blood samples, and a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Among ages 5 - 8 years, the main dietary intake for iron was 10.66 ± 12.44 mg/d (106% of DRI), for zinc, 7.30 ± 7.39 mg/d (92% of DRI) and for copper, 1.55 ± 1.31 mg/d (390% of DRI). For ages 9 - 13 yrs, the mean intake of micronutrients showed that iron was 11.03 ± 12.72 mg/d (138% of DRI), 3inc was 8.44 ± 7.7 mg/d (105% of DRI) and copper was 3.75 ± 15.17 mg/d (536% of DRI). Biochemical results indicated that 19.8% of the subjects had inadequate serum iron, 21% and 32.1% were zinc and copper deficient respectively prevalence of anemia was 38.1% while iron deficiency anemia was 13.06% and iron deficiency was 34.6%. Dietary intakes did not provide right amounts of micronutrients to meet body requirements. There is the need to formulate and implement nutrition education programs to correct micronutrient deficiency among primary school-attending children in Lagos, Nigeria.