title: Prevalence of Vitamin B12and Folate Deficiency in School Children Residing at High Altitude Regions in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of vitamin B12and folate deficiencies among children residing at high altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 215 school children in the age group of 6-18 y were included. Biochemical estimation of serum vitamin B12and folate levels was undertaken using chemiluminescence immunoassay method. The consumption pattern of foods high in dietary vitamin B12and folate was recorded using Food Frequency Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median levels (interquartile range) of serum vitamin B12and folate were 326 (259-395) pg/ml and 7.7 (6-10) ng/ml respectively. The prevalence of vitamin B12and folate deficiency amongst school age children was found as 7.4% and 1.5% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low prevalence of vitamin B12and folate deficiencies was found amongst children aged 6-18 y living at high altitude regions in India. This is possibly due to high frequency of consumption of foods rich in vitamin B12and folate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
authors.forename: Aakriti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India. umeshkapil@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Umesh
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kapil
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Lakshmy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ravindra Mohan
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Chander Prakash
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Yadav
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000531:Altitude; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Cobalamin deficiency; Dietary pattern; Folic acid deficiency; Non vegetarian diet; Vegetarian diet; Vitamin B12 deficiency