Effect of zinc supplementation on growth and body composition of Ugandan preschool children: a randomized, controlled, intervention trial.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Their objective was to study the effect of zinc supplementation on growth and body composition of preschool children by using the outcome measures of weight, height, and midupper arm circumference (MUAC).

Why It Was Studied

Despite ample food supplies, the incidence of childhood underweight and stunting remains high in Uganda.

Many factors contribute to this situation, but the role of low zinc intakes has not been adequately explored.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were young children and children, both men and women.

The study was randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, and 8 mo long, and incorporated 6 mo of zinc supplementation.

Children (n = 153) aged 55.8 +/- 11.2 mo from 3 randomly selected nursery schools of medium, low, and very low socioeconomic status in a suburb of Kampala took part.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and parallel-group study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group a baseline to be compared against.

The Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group ran side by side rather than switching.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Anthropometry, Arm, Body Composition, Body Height, Dietary Supplements, Growth and Infections.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 6 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 1998 (The American journal of clinical nutrition), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.