Biochemical evidence suggestive of suboptimal zinc and vitamin A status in schoolchildren in northeast Thailand

Data are accumulating that support the hy- pothesis that inadequate zinc nutriture will result in an impair- ment of vitamin A utilization. Therefore, zinc and vitamin A status were assessed in 283 schoolchildren aged 7-1 3 y in Northeast Thailand. More than one-fourth had serum vitamin A concentrations < 0.86 �mol/L, with a mean (± SD) concen- tration of 1.06 ± 0.31 �cmol/L compared with 1.26 ± 0.02 zmol/L for US children of similar age. Seventy percent had low serum zinc concentrations, < 10.7 �mol/L. Twenty-three percent ofthe children exhibited both low serum zinc and vita- mm A concentrations. The mean concentration of retinol- binding protein (RBP)was bower for children in this study com- pared with healthy Thai children in Bangkok, 22.5 ± 6.6 vs 25.3 ± 6.0 mg/L, respectively. Serum zinc and RBP were sig- nificantly correlated (p < 0.001) whereas vitamin A and zinc were not correlated. These data suggest that a high proportion ofrural schoolchildren in Northeast Thailand are at risk of in- adequate zinc and/or vitamin A nutriture. Am J Clin Mar 1990;52:564-7.