ABSTRACT
@#This cross-sectional study assessed the zinc status of non-pregnant and pregnant women resident in the National Capital District (NCD), Papua New Guinea (PNG). Non-fasting morning blood samples were collected by venipuncture from consented women. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used to measure the serum zinc concentration in 27 non-pregnant and 100 pregnant women. C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum was measured by enzyme immunoassay and used to interpret the serum Zn data. For all the non-pregnant women, the median serum zinc concentration was 42.7 mug/dl with an interquartile range (IQR) of 27.6 to 91.2 mug/dl. Zinc deficiency was prevalent among 59% in this group of women. For those with normal CRP the median and IQR serum zinc concentrations were 48.9 mug/dl and 30.2 to 98.7 mug/dl, respectively. The median and IQR for all the pregnant women were 63.8 mug/dl and 40.9 to 93.2 mug/dl, respectively. Prevalence of zinc deficiency was 42% using the cut-off point of 56.0 mug/dl. Of the 100 pregnant women, 16 (16%) were in the first trimester, 51 (51%) in the second trimester and 33 (33%) in the third trimester. The median serum zinc concentrations of pregnant women in the first, second and third trimesters were 87.0 mug/dl, 61.6 mug/dl and 60.8 mug/dl, respectively. Using gestational period-specific cut-off points, zinc deficiency was prevalent among 31%, 39% and 36% of the pregnant women in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively. Our results clearly indicate suboptimal zinc status among non-pregnant and pregnant women in the NCD. According to the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) criteria, this should be considered as a public health problem among these groups of women in the NCD. To effectively address the issue, social mobilization, intensive education and awareness campaigns, with all relevant target groups and policy makers, are urgently required.