An insight into the
folate nutritional status of the
population is important from a
public health perspective. The protective effect of
folate against
neural tube defects (NTDs) is widely recognized. To assess the
health and
nutritional status, especially
folate status, of vulnerable hill-tribe groups, a
cross-sectional study was conducted on 197 schoolchildren and 136
women of childbearing age in Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Nan Province,
Thailand. The
nutritional status of the study group was investigated by dietary
survey, and
blood samples were taken to determine
hematocrit,
protein, and
serum and
red blood cell folate. Anthropometric measurements were taken to assess
body size, composition and nutritional indexes. The
health and
nutritional status of the hill-tribe schoolchildren and
women of childbearing age were found to be unacceptable, particularly inregard to
folate status, which was indicated by low
folate levels found in the
blood samples, and in the intake of this
micronutrient.