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Table 3 Median (P 25 , P 75 ) blood indices of nutrient status in male prisoners and guards (all tests undertaken with serum unless otherwise stated)

From: Cross-sectional dietary deficiencies among a prison population in Papua New Guinea

 

Prisoners (n=139a)

Guards (n=9a)

P

Cut-offb

Prisoners < or > cut-off n (%)

Retinol (μmol/L)

0.73 (0.40, 1.21)

1.36 (0.96, 1.67)

0.016

<1.05 marginal

90 (65)

<0.70 deficient

63 (46)

ß-Carotene (μmol/L)

<0.06 (<0.06, 0.09)

0.25 (0.15, 0.36)

0.000

  

α-Tocopherol (μmol/L)

15.5 (12.5, 18.3)

23.2 (20.2, 27.0)

0.002

<11.6 deficienct

25 (18)

Cholesterol (mmol/L)

4.4 (3.8, 5.1)

5.5 (4.6, 7.0ß)

0.016

>5.2 high

27 (20) c

α-Tocopherol: total cholesterol ratio (μmol/ mmol)

3.43 (2.96, 3.81)

3.67 (4.04, 5.09)

0.016

<2.2 inadequate

0 (0)

Lutein (μmol/L)

1.58 (1.13, 2.40)

5.48 (4.34, 6.91)

0.002

  

Plasma vitamin C (μmol/L)

6.3 (1.0, 19.3)

48.5 (17.2, 59.4)

0.002

<11.4 deficienct

87 (64)

Red cell thiamin pyrophosphate (nmol/L)

258 (215, 307)

167 (133, 200)

0.016

<140 risk of suboptimal status

1 (1)

Plasma riboflavin (nmol/L)

221 (164, 282)

333 (255, 377)

0.013

<155 deficienct

25 (18)

Plasma folate (nmol/L)

2.0 (1.35, 2.6)

2.8 (1.6, 4.0)

0.246

<6.8 negative balance

134 (98)

Red blood cell folate (nmol/L)

270 (180, 348)

380 (262, 492)

0.085 0.168

<363 depletion

105 (80)

<227 anemia

46 (35)

Vitamin B12 (pmol/L)

465 (382, 564)

340 (289, 440)

0.016

< 130 risk of deficiency

0 (0)

Holotranscobalamin II (pmol/L)

76 (62.5, 93)

64 (53, 82.5)

0.302

<23 deficienct

0 (0)

Plasma homocysteine (μmol/L)

36 (18, 58)

16 (10, 56)

0.388

>15 moderate hhcy

108 (79)c

>25 intermediate

92 (68)c

50-500 severe

48 (35) c

Selenium (μmol/L)

1.59 (1.48, 1.75)

1.55 (1.49, 1.88)

0.333

<1.27 inhibited GSHPx activity

0 (0)

Zinc (μmol/L)

9.9 (8.8, 11.1)

10.2 (9.0, 10.8)

0.974

<10.7

90 (65.7)

Ferritin (μg/L)

73 (40, 120)

90 (77, 141)

0.2063

<15 depleted stores

10 (7.6)

α-1 acid glycoprotein (mg/dL)

64 (54, 73)

56 (55, 70)

0.4885

>120 subclinical infection

1 (0.76)

  1. a Not all data are complete.
  2. b Cut-offs used to define risk of micronutrient deficiencies were obtained from the following sources: serum retinol [24]; serum vitamin C [25]; serum α-tocopherol [26]; serum α-tocopherol: total cholesterol ratio [25]; red cell thiamin [27]; serum vitamin B12[28]; serum holotranscobalamin II [26]; plasma FAD (Canterbury Laboratories), haematocrit [29], plasma folate [30]; plasma homocysteine [31]; serum selenium [32]; total serum cholesterol [33]; serum iron [21]; serum zinc [34]; serum α-1 acid glycoprotein [35].
  3. c n(%) above cut-off.
  4. * Significant P-value p<0.05.
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BMC International Health and Human Rights

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