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DepressionNCT00283660

Zinc, Mental Health, and School Performance in Guatemalan Schoolchildren

A study testing 10 mg zinc oxide in people with Depression and Anxiety, run by Emory University at 1 site in Guatemala.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will determine whether supplements of the mineral zinc will improve mental health and school performance among schoolchildren in Guatemala. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 7 to 11 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Depression, Anxiety
What is being tested?
10 mg zinc oxide
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
750 participants
Where
1 siteGuatemala
Study dates
Jan 2006to Oct 2006
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 7 to 11 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Attend a public school in specific Guatemalan community and has thorough and up-to-date school records
  • Currently in 2nd to 6th grade
  • Parent or guardian willing to provide informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Any illness that may affect participants' zinc levels
  • Any chronic illness
  • History of cancer

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Guatemala1 site
  • Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá - INCAP

    Guatemala City, 01011

Other trials in Guatemala

About this study

Official title: Zinc, Mental Health, and School Performance

This study will determine whether supplements of the mineral zinc will improve mental health and school performance among schoolchildren in Guatemala.

Read the detailed description

Mental health problems are an important cause of dysfunction throughout the world, accounting for 8.1% of the Global Burden of Disease. The need for interventions that can prevent mental health conditions, particularly among children, cannot be overemphasized. This study will determine whether zinc supplementation improves the mental health and school performance among children in Guatemala.

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive daily supplements of either zinc or placebo for 6 months. Participants will be assessed at study entry and after the 6-month treatment. Participants and their parents and teachers will complete questionnaires about the participants' symptoms of depression and anxiety, concentration and activity levels, school performance, and any environmental stressors to which the participants may be exposed to.

Conditions
Depression, Anxiety
Being tested
10 mg zinc oxide, Placebo
Keywords
Zinc, Dietary Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Child, Mental Health, School, Guatemala
Medical subject headings
Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Psychological Well-Being

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • 10 mg zinc oxideDietary supplement

    10 mg zinc oxide

  • PlaceboOther

    Placebo pill taken five days a week for six months.

Study groups in NCT00283660
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ActiveExperimentalDietary Supplement: 10 mg zinc oxide
Receives: Dietary Supplement: 10 mg zinc oxide
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorPlacebo (double blinded)
Receives: Other: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Symptoms of depression

    Measured: Baseline and post supplementation

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Symptoms of anxiety

    Measured: Baseline and post supplementation

  2. attention problems and school performance

    Measured: Baseline and post supplementation

  3. activity levels

    Measured: Baseline and post supplementation

  4. zinc levels

    Measured: Baseline and post supplementation

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 Jan 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2006
  3. Primary completionOct 2006
  4. Study completionOct 2006

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
750 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00283660
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00045755
Other IDs
R01MH067981, DSIR 84-CTM
Status last verified
Nov 2015
First submitted
26 Jan 2006
Last updated
17 Nov 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • DiGirolamo AM, Ramirez-Zea M, Wang M, Flores-Ayala R, Martorell R, Neufeld LM, Ramakrishnan U, Sellen D, Black MM, Stein AD. Randomized trial of the effect of zinc supplementation on the mental health of school-age children in Guatemala. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1241-50. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.29686. Epub 2010 Sep 29.

    PubMed 20881069
  • Bui VQ, Stein AD, DiGirolamo AM, Ramakrishnan U, Flores-Ayala RC, Ramirez-Zea M, Grant FK, Villalpando S, Martorell R. Associations between serum C-reactive protein and serum zinc, ferritin, and copper in Guatemalan school children. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 Aug;148(2):154-60. doi: 10.1007/s12011-012-9358-0. Epub 2012 Feb 22.

    PubMed 22354676

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing 10 mg zinc oxide in people with Depression and Anxiety, run by Emory University at 1 site in Guatemala.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Nov 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Guatemala. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Symptoms of depression (time frame: Baseline and post supplementation). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00283660, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Nov 2015.

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