A decreasing trend in zinc deficiency in Mexican children aged 1-4: analysis of three national health and nutrition surveys in 1999, 2006 and 2018-19

Abstract

Objective: To describe trends in zinc deficiency (ZD) prevalence among preschool-age Mexican children, and explore differences in this trend among beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program Progresa/Oportunidades/ Prospera (CCT-POP).

Materials and methods: The serum zinc information of children aged 1-4 who participa-ted in the ENN 1999, Ensanut 2006 and Ensanut 2018-19 was analyzed. ZD was categorized according to IZiNCG cutoff values. Logistic regression models were used to iden-tify personal participant characteristics associated with ZD trends, and tests for interactions between survey CCT-POP beneficiaries were applied.

Results: ZD decreased by 22.3 percentage points (pp) between ENN 1999 and Ensanut 2018-19; among CCT-POP beneficiaries, the decrease was 58.6 pp. Overweight was associated with higher odds of ZD (OR=2.18, p=0.023).

Conclusions: In the last 19 years, ZD declined significantly among preschool-age Mexican children. Child beneficiaries of the social program CCT-POP showed the largest reduction of ZD.