Vitamin B12 Status in Rural Adolescent School Girls in Mysuru, India: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Hematology
• Public Health

Background:

• Adolescent girls face increased nutritional demands and risks of deficiencies.
• Anemia affects a significant portion of Indian adolescent girls (56%).
• Vitamin B12 deficiency is a potential contributor to anemia in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency.
• To investigate school-going adolescent girls aged 13-16 years in rural Mysore.
• To explore associations between B12 deficiency and hematological findings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted in two rural Mysuru high schools.
• Included adolescent girls aged 13-16 years.
• Performed complete hemogram, peripheral smear examination, and Vitamin B12 level estimation.

Main Results:

• 40.81% of 98 enrolled subjects showed Vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Macrocytes and hyper-segmented neutrophils significantly correlated with B12 deficiency (P < 0.001).
• No significant association found between B12 deficiency, diet type, or anemia (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• High prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in rural adolescent girls in Mysuru.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency should be considered in the etiology of anemia beyond iron deficiency.
• Strengthening adolescent health and food fortification programs is recommended.