[Biochemical assessment of nutritional status in the Canary Islands population (1998)]

Nutrition surveys include information about dietary intake and nutritional status utilising clinical, biochemical and anthropometric measurements.

To evaluate the nutritional status of the Canary Island population by means of biochemical and haematological indicators

A cross-sectional study was realised in a representative subsample aged 6 to 75 years that participated in the Nutritional Survey of the Canary Islands, 1997-98 (ENCA). We determined levels of ferritin and vitamin B12 (enzyme-immunoassay), serum and erythrocytic folic acid (automated ionic catchment), retinol, tocopherol and carotenes (high performance liquid chromatography) and minerals (atomic absorption spectrometry)

There were neither sex, age nor socio-economic differences in the reference population sample and the ENCA sample. The participation rate was 48.8%. 25% of the women had deficit levels of ferritin and the prevalence of anaemia in women over 18 years was 2.9%. 13% of the population had low erythrocyte folic acid levels, that increased with age, and 3.4% had low vitamin B12 levels, which, on the contrary, decreased with age, 15% of the population presented a deficit of alpha-tocopherol and 5.2% of retinol, being more frequent in the youngest group, and 56.4% and 41.1% exhibited low levels of beta-carotene and lycopene respectively. Among mineral and trace elements, low levels of manganese drew attention due to its heightened prevalence, and, to a lesser extent, selenium.

In spite of the complexity of its interpretation, this data yields a precise estimation of nutritional status for certain vitamins and minerals in the Canary Island population.