OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association among blood serum concentrations of iron, zinc, copper, nutritional status and occurrence of diarrhea in children from a low-income community in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated 104 children aging from 1 to 5 years, selected in the months of April and December 2004, by the project Vila Rosário. The socioeconomic profile of the families and health of the children were assessed, including the occurrence of diarrhea. Nutritional assessment included weight, height/length, weight-for-age and height-for-age indices expressed in Z-scores and classification of the nutritional status based on these indices. Serum concentrations of zinc, iron and copper were determined in a sub-sample (n=59) by synchrotron total reflection x-ray fluorescence. RESULTS: The children lived in crowded households with unsatisfactory sanitary conditions and were from low-income families. The prevalence of diarrhea in the last moth was 55.7%; 28.4% of the children were underweight and 4.9% were stunted. Iron, zinc and copper deficiencies in the sample were 13.0%, 7.5% and 8.9% respectively. There was no significant association between nutritional indicators and serum concentration of the minerals. Blood serum levels of zinc in children without diarrhea were significantly higher than among those with diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Episodes of diarrhea can compromise blood serum levels of zinc in children.
anthropometry; micronutrient deficiency; diarrhea; zinc
