GROWTH IN CHILDREN FROM THE WOSERA SUBDISTRICT, PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA, IN RELATION TO ENERGY AND PROTEIN INTAKES AND ZINC STATUS

In a cross-sectional study of 123 children aged 24-120 mo from the Wosera subdistrict of Papua New Guinea, height, weight, hematocrit, hemoglobin, hair zinc, and presence of malaria were measured. Two 24-h recalls were undertaken in 67 of the children aged 72-120 mo; 52%, 73%, and 76% had energy, protein, and zinc intakes, respectively, less than two-thirds of the FAO/WHO/UNU recommendations. Stunting was prevalent (29%); 16% were moderately wasted. The prevalence of stunting and hair zinc concentrations < 1.68-mu-mol/g was gender related; 38% of males vs 20% of females had Z scores for height-for-age (HAZ scores) < -2 (P = 0.04); 26% of males vs 11% of females had hair zinc < 1.68-mu-mol/g (P < 0.05). Analysis of variance showed that age, sex, hemoglobin, and log hair zinc influenced HAZ scores, depending on the age group; both sex and the log of the hair zinc values were significant factors in the older children. Stunting in Wosera children was related to chronic deficits in energy and protein and was excerbated in the older male children by suboptimal zinc status.