PREVALENCE OF ZINC DEFICIENCY AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF YOUTH IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Introduction. It is necessary to focus on microelements, they are of great importance in the formation of human health and occupy a special place in the development of the reproductive potential of young people. Among them, special attention is paid to zinc, an important component that is necessary for the full functioning of many systems in the body, including the hormonal system, both female & male. Aim of the research. To study the prevalence of zinc deficiency among female and male students of the Re-public of Bashkortostan. Materials and methods. А study of the reproductive potential of girls and boys aged 15-19 was performed. Blood serum was analyzed on the automated modular platform Roche Cobas 8000 with the immunochemical module e801. Statistical processing was performed using the STATISTICA program. Results. The examined girls have zinc deficiency: the median value is 10.03 µmol/l (10.7-17.5 µmol/l). The prevalence of Zn deficiency in female students is significantly higher, and is 51.9% versus 41.3% in boys (p = 0.0041). The highest number of cases of this microelement deficiency was detected in 15-17-year-old girls – 56.2%, and this is also statistically significantly higher than in boys, in whom the frequency of zinc de-ficiency detection was 43.4% (p = 0.0012). Conclusion. The study shows the need for regular monitoring of zinc levels in the blood serum. Assessing the importance of this micronutrient, both in the development of the reproductive system and at the pre-gravid stage, it is necessary to add products with a high zinc content to the dietary plan. In addition to a balanced diet, extra support in the form of drugs or dietary supplements is important.