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Zinc and vitamin A intake and status in a national sample of British young people aged 4–18 y

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 363–375 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To examine zinc and vitamin A intake and status and associated dietary, socio-demographic, lifestyle and physiological factors in British young people.

Design: National Diet and Nutrition Survey of young people aged 4–18 y.

Setting: Great Britain, 1997.

Subjects: Complete 7-day weighed dietary records were provided by 1520 participants, while 1193 provided blood samples.

Results: A total of 13 and 11% of participants respectively reported low dietary intakes of zinc and vitamin A (retinol equivalents), relative to the UK lower reference nutrient intake. These percentages were not altered significantly by including contributions to intake from supplements, mainly containing vitamin A (as retinol). Likelihood of low zinc and/or vitamin A intake was more often associated with age, sex and likely under-reporting of food consumption than with other socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. Low zinc and vitamin A intakes were generally less likely in those with higher consumption of dairy foods (mainly milk). Zinc and vitamin A status (assessed by plasma zinc and retinol concentrations) were adequate in almost all participants. Plasma zinc concentration was not significantly associated with zinc intake. Plasma retinol concentration was correlated with vitamin A intake (overall r=0.17, P<0.001; adjusted for age and plasma α1-antichymotrypsin concentration) and increased significantly with age (P<0.001) in both sexes. A significant association was found between plasma zinc and retinol concentrations in boys only (r=0.17, P=0.001).

Conclusions: Zinc and vitamin A intakes and status were generally adequate in this national sample of British young people.

Sponsorship: Food Standards Agency, UK.

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Acknowledgements

This further analysis was funded by the Food Standards Agency (grant number N08014). The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of young people aged 4–18 y was commissioned and funded jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health. Responsibility for the NDNS programme transferred to the Food Standards Agency on its establishment in April 2000. The survey was conducted by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics in conjunction with the Micronutrient Status Laboratory, formerly part of the MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit and now part of MRC Human Nutrition Research.

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  1. MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Fulbourn Road, Cambridge, UK

    C W Thane, C J Bates & A Prentice

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  1. C W Thane
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Guarantor: CJ Bates

Contributors: CWT analysed the data and drafted the manuscript, and CJB and AP initiated the project and contributed to the preparation of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to C W Thane.

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Thane, C., Bates, C. & Prentice, A. Zinc and vitamin A intake and status in a national sample of British young people aged 4–18 y. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 363–375 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601792

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