Epidemiological survey of vitamin deficiencies in older Thai adults: implications for national policy planning

Abstract

Objective: To examine the prevalence and risk factors of vitamin deficiencies among older Thai adults. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in four rural communities, one from each of the four main regions of Thailand. In total, 2336 subjects aged 60 years and over were recruited. Anthropometric variables, demographic data, blood glucose and lipid profile, albumin, globulin and blood levels of vitamin A, b-carotene, folic acid, vitamin B 12 , vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin B 1 were all measured. Results: The prevalence of vitamin deficiencies was 0.6% for vitamin B 12 , 6.1% for vitamin A, 9.9% for vitamin C, 30.1% for vitamin B 1 , 38.8% for erythrocyte folate, 55.5% for vitamin E and 83.0% for b-carotene. Male gender was a common risk factor for at least three vitamin deficiencies, i.e. b-carotene, folate and vitamin E. Being a manual worker was a common risk factor of b-carotene and vitamin B 1 deficiency. Poor income was found as a risk factor only in erythrocyte folate deficiency while increasing age was a significant factor only in vitamin C deficiency. Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among older Thai people was quite different from that found in Western countries, reflecting different socioeconomic backgrounds. Vitamin deficiency was not only from poor food intake but also from the dietary habit of monotonous food consumption in older people. Some common associated factors of atherosclerosis were also significantly related to folate and vitamin E deficiencies.

The Reduced Folate Carrier (RFC) Is Cytotoxic to Cells under Conditions of Severe Folate Deprivation

“…Another physiological-pathological condition that may match such a severe folate deprivation state is nutritional folate deficiency or insufficiency. Indeed folate deficiency affects ϳ10% of the population as well as more than 50% of the children and elderly that live in poverty in the United States, Thailand, and rural areas of India (38,57,58). Hence under such physiological-pathological conditions of severe folate deficiency, RFC and GGH may possibly undergo a significant down-regulation in gene expression and activity to protect cells from further loss of intracellular folates due to folate efflux via the RFC.…”

Anemia in the Elderly in Northeastern Thailand: A Community-Based Study Investigating Prevalence, Contributing Factors, and Hematologic Features

“…With regard to vitamin B 12 deficiency, it is unlikely that this problem would occur within the Thai population, as daily diets routinely include the ingestion of fish sauce, a rich source of vitamin B 12 [25]. Several previously conducted studies also lend support to the contention that vitamin B 12 and folate deficiencies remain relatively rare in the Thai population [26,27,28]. …”

Thalassemia and iron deficiency in a group of northeast Thai school children: relationship to the occurrence of anemia

“…Other nutritional deficiencies of importance for being anemic include vitamin A, vitamin B12, and folate. However, these micronutrient deficiencies are relatively low in Thailand [1,2,16,25,26]. Among the non-nutritional factors, malaria and hookworm infestation also might contribute to the occurrence of anemia [4,5,17], but based on the cumulative data from community hospitals located in the study area, these two diseases were quite seldom found among the patients of the hospitals and the children under survey.…”