Abstract:
One hundred and twenty elderly farmers aged 60-100 years living in Abanla village of Idi-Ayunre Local Government area
of Oyo State, Nigeria, were assessed for dietary and urinary Zinc excretion. Dietary zinc intakes were measured from meals
consumed over a two day period. The dietary zinc intake of the elderly male and female farmers was similar(P>0.05).The mean daily
zinc intake of 12.46+/-1.45mg for males and 11.82+/-2.61mg for females appeared marginally adequate compared to the
recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The respondents may be deficient in zinc because there was lack of or low intake of rich
sources of zinc such as beef, egg, and oyster. The diet of the elderly people were also predominantly of plant origin. However, the
urinary zinc excretion was within acceptable ranges. The males excreted significantly more (P<0.05) urinary zinc than the females
(3.01+/-2.21g/8 hours and 2.00 +/-1.40 g/8 hours respectively). No correlation existed between age and urinary zinc excretion
(r=0.029, n=90). Nutrition education should be promoted throughout life especially during adolescent period when food habits are
being formed. Regular medical check-up should also be encouraged so that early detection and correction of infirmities would
reduce age onset or pathological conditions.
