ABSTRACT
Malnutrition is still a health problem that affects a child’s development and survival rate in developing countries. Malnutrition may cause lower serum zinc levels than normal children. Albumin is an important protein transport for zinc because 80% of zinc is bound to the albumin. A cross-sectional study was conducted in H. Adam Malik Hospital, Pirngadi Hospital and the University of Sumatera Utara Hospital, Indonesia, between July and November 2016. The study sample was children aged six months to five years old who had no liver function disturbances, kidney disease, were not obese or overweight, and did not take any zinc supplements. Anthropometric, serum zinc, and albumin level measurements were taken along with demographic information. Fifty-one samples were obtained and divided into normal nutrition status, moderate malnutrition, and severe malnutrition groups, equally. Significant associations between malnutrition and serum zinc, and also malnutrition and albumin were found. There was a significant correlation between serum zinc and albumin level.
