Loading...
Prevalence and indicators of vitamin B12 insufficiency among young women of childbearing age
Al-Musharaf, Sara McTernan, Philip G Hussain, Syed Danish Aleisa, Khalid Abdullah Alnaami, Abdullah M Wani, Kaiser Saravanan, Ponnusamy Al-Daghri, Nasser
Al-Musharaf, Sara
McTernan, Philip G
Hussain, Syed Danish
Aleisa, Khalid Abdullah
Alnaami, Abdullah M
Wani, Kaiser
Al-Daghri, Nasser
Citations
Altmetric:
Affiliation
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Nottingham Trent University; University of Warwick; George Eliot Hospital, Nuneaton
Other Contributors
Publication date
2020-12-22
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
Vitamin B12 insufficiency is a global health issue among women of childbearing age, yet few studies have investigated its prevalence and risk factors among healthy Middle Eastern populations. This cross-sectional study included 346 Saudi women aged 19-30 years and enrolled at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A series of questionnaires were administered to record the study participants' sociodemographic status, medical history, dietary intake, and physical activity. Participants' anthropometric data were also recorded and their fasting blood samples were analyzed. The rate of vitamin B12 insufficiency (≤220 pmol/L) was approximately 6% among the study participants. After adjusting for confounding factors, it was observed that the risk factors for vitamin B12 insufficiency included daily sitting time ≥ 7 h, low income (<10,000 Saudi riyal) and increasing age. The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin B12 (>2.4 mcg/day) has been shown to confer reasonable protection against vitamin B12 insufficiency. These study findings highlight that a combination of increased physical activity and dietary vitamin B12 intake above the current recommended dietary allowance may help improve the serum vitamin B12 levels of young women of childbearing age, especially those with a low socioeconomic status. Timely detection and protection against vitamin B12 insufficiency in this subpopulation are important to prevent maternal and fetal health risks.
Citation
Al-Musharaf S, McTernan PG, Hussain SD, Aleisa KA, Alnaami AM, Wani K, Saravanan P, Al-Daghri N. Prevalence and Indicators of Vitamin B12 Insufficiency among Young Women of Childbearing Age. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 22;18(1):1. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010001.
Type
Article