Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Zinc deficiency is a widespread public health problem in low- and middle-income countries, with prevalence often exceeding 20% in various physiological groups, as measured by plasma zinc concentration.
In many low- and middle-income countries, zinc deficiency is a major public health issue affecting over 20% of the population in various groups. Public health efforts should prioritize screening and intervention, especially for women and children, using plasma zinc concentration as a key indicator.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Among the 25 countries for which national PZC data were available, 23 had a zinc deficiency prevalence of >20% for at least one physiological group.
Why this rating
Based on national-level plasma zinc concentration data from 25 countries.
Source
Zinc deficiency in low‐ and middle‐income countries: prevalence and approaches for mitigation
Swarnim Gupta et al. · Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics · 2020
DOI 10.1111/jhn.12791
narrative_reviewCited 273×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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