title: Iron, folate, and B(12) deficiencies and their associations with anemia among women of childbearing age in a rural area in Northern China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of folate, vitamin B(12), and iron deficiencies and their associations with anemia among women of childbearing age in northern China, an area with a reported high incidence of neural tube defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma folate, vitamin B(12), ferritin, and hemoglobin levels were measured among 1,671 non-pregnant women of childbearing age from Xianghe County, Hebei Province, China in June 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Geometric means [95 % confidence interval (CI)] of plasma concentrations were 9.3 (4.0, 21.6) nmol/L for folate, 213.1 (82.4, 550.9) pmol/L for vitamin B(12), 17.4 (1.1, 278.6) microg/L for ferritin, and 129.9 (104.6, 161.4) g/L for hemoglobin (Hb). Approximately 24 % of women had biochemical evidence of folate deficiency (<6.8 nmol/L), 21.4 % were deficient (<148 pmol/L) in vitamin B(12), 30.2 % had iron depletion (<15 microg/L), and anemia (Hb < 120 g/L) was detected among 15.4 % of women. Of the three nutrients, only iron depletion (ferritin < 15 microg/L) was independently associated with anemia (adjusted odds ratio = 6.4, 95 % CI 4.8, 8.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there were substantial proportions of folate and vitamin B(12) deficiencies among women of childbearing age in northern China, iron deficiency was the most important contributor to anemia.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory on Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health and National Center for Maternal and Child Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jiang Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dale J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Bao Lan
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cogswell
authors.forename: Lynn B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Berry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D007501:Iron; D014805:Vitamin B 12