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Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
[Zinc status of 18-60 year-old adults in China in 2015]
Huidi Zhang1, Yichun Hu1, Jiaxi Lu1
1National Institute for Nutrition Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Key Laboratory of Trace Element Nutrition, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100050, China.
Objective:
To estimate the distribution of serum zinc levels, zinc deficiency status and possible influencing factors in 18-60 year-old adults in China.
Methods:
Based on the data of China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance, 3903 blood samples were selected by stratified random sampling. The distribution of serum zinc in adults with different gender, age, regional type and regional distribution were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and body mass index(BMI), exercise, smoking, drinking, vitamin A level and other factors on serum zinc concentration and zinc deficiency rate. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between zinc deficiency and the influencing factors.
Results:
In 2015, the median of serum zinc in Chinese adults aged 18-60 years was 103. 44(95%CI 64. 84-186. 12) μg/dL, and the overall zinc deficiency rate was 6. 04%. Serum zinc concentration had statistically significant difference(P<0. 05) in different genders, regional types, regional distribution, vitamin A status, smoking status, drinking status. In the comparison of zinc deficiency rates, ethnic minorities(10. 67 %) was higher than Han(5. 44%), rural area(7. 35%) was higher than urban area(4. 90%), vitamin A deficiency group(9. 12%) was higher than vitamin A normal group(5. 90%), non-exercise group(6. 29%) was higher than sports group(5. 09%). Among different regional distributions, the western region had the highest zinc deficiency rate(7. 33%), and among different BMI groups overweight group had the lowest rate(4. 81%). These differences were statistically significant(P<0. 05). In the analysis of multivariate logistic regression, the risk of zinc deficiency in the vitamin A deficiency group was 1. 89 higher than that of the normal group(OR=1. 89, 95%CI 1. 13-3. 18); and the overweight group had a lower risk of serum zinc deficiency than the normal group(OR=0. 71, 95%CI 0. 52-0. 96).
Conclusion:
The prevalence of serum zinc deficiency among adults aged 18-60 in China is relatively low. Vitamin A deficiency is a risk factor for zinc deficiency and overweight is a protective factor for zinc deficiency.
