Little is known about the
micronutrient status of Chinese women of childbearing age. We assessed nonfasting plasma concentrations of
folic acid,
vitamin B-12,
vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxal-5'-phosphate),
hemoglobin (Hb),
ferritin and
transferrin receptor (TfR) in 563 nonpregnant textile workers aged 21-34 y from Anqing, China. All women had obtained permission to become pregnant and were participating in a prospective study of pregnancy outcomes. Mean (SD) plasma concentrations were 9.7 (4.1) nmol/L
folic acid, 367 (128) pmol/L
vitamin B-12, 40.2 (15.8) nmol/L
vitamin B-6, 108 (12. 9) g/L Hb, 42.6 (34.2) microgram/
L ferritin and 5.2 (2.7) mg/L TfR. Twenty-three percent of women had biochemical evidence of
folic acid deficiency, 26% were deficient in
vitamin B-6 and 10% had low
vitamin B-12. Overall, 44% of women were deficient in at least one
B vitamin. Although
anemia (Hb < 120 g/L) was detected in 80% of women, only 17% had depleted
iron stores (
ferritin < 12 microgram/L); 11% had elevated TfR concentrations. Distinct seasonal trends were observed in the prevalence of moderate
anemia (Hb < 100 g/L) and deficiencies of
folic acid and
vitamin B-6, with significantly lower concentrations of
folate and Hb occurring in summer and lower concentrations of
vitamin B-6 occurring in winter and spring than in other seasons. We conclude that deficiencies of
folic acid,
vitamin B-6 and
iron were relatively common in this sample of Chinese women of childbearing age and were contributing to the high prevalence of
anemia. Without appropriate supplementation, these deficiencies could jeopardize the women's health and increase their risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.