WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Nawras Abdulameer Aziz* and Ban Abdul-Ridha Al-Hashimi

ABSTRACT

Background: Fatigue is defined as a feeling of disability and weakness that leads to a reduction in the capacity of individuals to perform their functions and daily activities. It is a common symptom associated with various disease conditions and significantly impacts health status and quality of life, which in turn affects job performance, daily activities, and social relationships. Aims of the study: To evaluate the effect of zinc oral supplement on fatigue among elderly. Method: A single-blind clinical experiment will be undertaken on 150 senior persons aged ≥ 60 in Najaf city. The first group will take 30 mg of zinc oral supplement daily for 70 days, while the second group will receive a placebo. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) will measure fatigue before and after the intervention. Participants will give informed consent. Age (60-75, >75), education level (primary, secondary, university, and further education), and marital status (married, single) will be gathered. Results: The mean age of participants was 67 ± 5 years. In the intervention group, 88% were aged 60-75 years, 82.7% had primary education, and 97.3% were married P-value significant (0.0001). Initially, 48% had normal serum zinc levels, increasing to 93.3% after supplementation, with a significant increase compared to the control group, which saw no significant change. The intervention group also experienced a significant decrease in fatigue scores post-supplementation, P-value significant (0.0001). Conclusion: Our study shows that zinc supplementation reduces tiredness and raises blood zinc levels in the elderly. These findings suggest that dietary therapies should be prioritized in age-related health conditions to improve older well-being and quality of life.

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