Which factor can interfere with wound closure?

• A. Malnutrition
• B. Increased physical activity
• C. Adequate sleep
• D. Regular exercise

Answer: (A)

Wound closure depends on adequate nutrition to fuel tissue repair. Protein provides the building blocks for fibroblasts and collagen synthesis, while vitamins C and A support collagen formation and epithelialization, and zinc is essential for many enzymes and immune function. When nutrition is deficient, these processes falter: collagen deposition and wound tensile strength drop, and infection risk rises, all leading to delayed or incomplete closure. Adequate sleep helps healing by lowering stress hormones and supporting immune response, and regular exercise improves circulation and oxygen delivery to tissues, both of which aid repair. Increased physical activity can introduce mechanical stress to a fresh wound and potentially delay closure, but systemic nutritional deficits have a broader, more consistent impact. Thus malnutrition is the factor most likely to interfere with wound closure.