Effect of Zinc Supplement on General Health of ICU Nurses

Background and Nursing is a stressful job and nurses are always susceptible to health threats in various aspects due to long shifts. Zinc is a trace element that is essential for human health. This study was performed to assess the effect of zinc supplement on general health of nurses working in intensive care units (ICU). This double blind randomized clinical trial was performed in 46 ICU accessible nurses from Imam Khomeini and Fatima Zahra hospitals (Sari-2011) with general health disorder (n = 23 intervention and 23 control). In intervention group zinc sulfate 220 mg capsules were administered twice daily every 78 hours for a month while for the control group placebo were administered in the same way. General health and serum zinc level were measured pre and post-intervention. Data was obtained using demographic and standard general health questionnaires. For data analysis we applied SPSS ver. 18, chi square, t-independent, paired t-test and kolmogorov-smirnov tests. In the intervention group the mean of general health score was 23.04±9.54 after a month and in the control group it was 27.96±13.82, (P=0.298). Among the four aspects of public health, significant improvement was observed only in physical symptoms in the intervention group (P=0.044). After a month the mean levels of zinc were 73.57±13.4 and 59.67±14.3 in the intervention group and in control group, respectively. The study showed significant increase in level of zinc in the intervention group (P=0.034). This study indicated a low level of zinc serum in nurses working in ICU. The zinc supplements showed positive effects on some aspects of general health, hence, administrating zinc supplements could be of great benefit in enhancing the general health among nurses. (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20120625436513)