Evidence for Zinc Deficiency in Aboriginal Settlements in Northwestern Australia

Cheek, Donald B.; Spargo, Randolph M.; Holt, A B

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1981.tb135994.x

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…A recent study of aged‐care residents showed that plasma zinc concentrations were below the normal range in 46% of subjects, and that these individuals had lower functional mobility scores (‘Timed Up and Go’ test) than those with plasma zinc concentrations in the normal range 17 . Zinc deficiency has been reported in Australian Indigenous children 18 . Zinc supplementation, however, has not been shown to be effective in increasing linear growth 19 or recovery from acute diarrhoea 20 .…”

Section: Food Sources Of Zincmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Zinc

Samman

2007

Nutrition & Dietetics

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Section: Food Sources Of Zincmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…17 Zinc deficiency has been reported in Australian Indigenous children. 18 Zinc supplementation, however, has not been shown to be effective in increasing linear growth 19 or recovery from acute diarrhoea. 20 In these circumstances, the data are suggestive of an underlying confounding factor such as parasitic infection.…”

Section: Food Sources Of Zincmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zinc

Samman

2007

Nutrition & Dietetics

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“…23 Zinc deficiency is seen in North America, especially amongst Hispanics, and questions have been raised about zinc status in Aboriginal Australians. 24 More recently, a dramatic reduction in childhood pneumonia by 41%, and in diarrhoea by up to a quarter was found by researchers from the Child Health Research Project (CHRP) at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (Baltimore, MD, USA) and World Health Organization through dietary zinc supplementation. 25 We know that older persons in developed countries are often found to be zinc deficient.…”

Section: Success and Failure Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinicians changing individual food habits

Wahlqvist

2000

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr

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There is ample evidence from repeat food surveys that people are actually and passively changing their food habits. Understanding the reasons for this are vital to any efforts by clinicians to enable individuals to move in an increasing healthful direction with their food intake, and to dispel the pessimism that often prevails about the ability to make a useful contribution to nutritional status by changing food intake. Current success and failure rates are predicated on inadequate methods and inappropriate outcome measures, rather than an inability to achieve outcomes. Factors that allow for or encourage change are food availability, exposure to new food experiences, food memory, pleasure, eating with peers or companions, health interest and changing constructs and beliefs about food. It is possible to change the health impact of food by non-food means like physical activity, stress management, recreational activities, improved relationships, changing the work environment and through adequate sleep (including siesta). Yet another consideration is that the full consequences of food choice are not appreciated with more and more food-health relationships being defined (e.g. with cataract, macular degeneration, in depression and cognitive function). These various approaches require a management strategy that underpins the field of behavioural therapy. In this approach it is possible to make progress through small but consequential changes, like climbing the stairs, or increasing intake of particular foods like fish or drinking more water; and exploring and contracting ways to do these things.

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“…Zinc deficiency was first documented in the 1980s in Aboriginal communities, but the research tools used for these studies were inadequate to allow any firm conclusion. [7][8][9][10] We performed a small pilot study using a stable isotope technique (dual isotope tracer ratio in urine) to measure fractional zinc absorption in hospitalised Aboriginal children without diarrhoea in Darwin. Our preliminary findings show remarkably low mean levels of fractional zinc absorption in Aboriginal children (0.16 compared with expected levels of about 0.60).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%