title: Women in resource-poor settings are at risk of inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients.
abstract: A systematic review was conducted to identify all studies that were published between 1988 and 2008 reporting micronutrient intakes of women in resource-poor settings. Inclusion criteria were study location (resource-poor), dietary assessment method (24-h recall, estimated/weighed record, or locally validated FFQ), energy and 1 or more micronutrient intakes reported (vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, or zinc), age range (15-50 y), sample size (≥30), and sex (female). Of the 1560 papers identified, 52 papers were included. Results showed that, except for vitamin A (29%), vitamin C (34%), and niacin (34%), the reported mean/median intakes in over 50% of studies were below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Folate intake was most often below EAR (91% of studies). Regional differences were apparent for intakes of vitamins A, C, and B-6 and riboflavin; mean/median intakes in Latin America exceeded the EAR, whereas in Asia, reported mean/median intakes of vitamin C, vitamin A, and riboflavin were below the EAR in 47, 50, and 77% of the studies, respectively, as was the case for vitamin B-6 in 75% of the studies in Africa. These results suggest that inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients are common among women living in resource-poor settings and emphasize the need for increased attention to the quality of women's diets. There is a need for more high-quality studies of women's micronutrient intakes.
authors.affiliation: Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, NO-0608 Oslo, Norway. liv.elin.torheim@fafo.no
authors.forename: Liv Elin
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Torheim
authors.forename: Elaine L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Penrose
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arimond
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients