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Micronutrients and its correlation with mental performance among schoolchildren in Bario, Sarawak: a preliminary

M I Zaleha1, A R Hayaati, A R Rizam

  • 1Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Medical Journal of Malaysia
|January 31, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children in remote Bario, Sarawak, show good mental performance despite isolation. This is linked to naturally high levels of iodine and other essential micronutrients in their environment.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Neuroscience
  • Environmental Health
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Micronutrient deficiencies, especially iodine, in remote areas are linked to impaired cognitive function and intellectual disability.
  • The highland settlement of Bario in Sarawak, Malaysia, is a remote rural area with a unique population (Kelabit people).
  • Understanding the mental performance of children in such isolated communities is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the mental performance of schoolchildren in Bario.
  • To investigate the correlation between mental performance and the availability of iodine, selenium, copper, and manganese in Bario's environment.
  • To establish baseline micronutrient levels in the study population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 25 schoolchildren aged 7-12 years in Bario.
  • Mental performance was evaluated using the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence--second edition (TONI-2).
  • Environmental iodine levels were measured using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and serum levels of selenium, copper, and manganese were determined using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS).

Main Results:

  • The median intelligence quotient (IQ) score was 82, with a mode of 75, and median/mode percentile scores of 11.0 and 5.0, respectively.
  • The majority of children achieved average IQ scores (90-110).
  • Salt from a local well showed high iodine content, and schoolchildren exhibited sufficient copper and high selenium and manganese levels, indicating good micronutrient status.

Conclusions:

  • Schoolchildren in Bario demonstrated higher mental performance than expected for an isolated community.
  • The favorable mental performance is likely associated with the natural abundance of iodine and other essential micronutrients in their environment.
  • This study highlights the importance of environmental micronutrient availability for cognitive development in remote populations.

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