Indicators
This section aims to provide users of VMNIS with information on different biochemical indicators for assessing the prevalence of various vitamin and mineral deficiencies in populations. These documents are a compilation of current WHO recommendations on the topic from different sources. They summarize the currently recognized cut-offs for defining deficiencies and severity of deficiencies at the population level, and the chronology of their establishment.
The cut-offs included in these summaries are essential for identifying populations most at risk of deficiency and in need of intervention. They also permit both the monitoring of trends of vitamin and mineral deficiencies and the evaluation of the impact of interventions. Such assessments allow for the measurement of progress towards international goals of control and prevention of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
- Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity
- Serum ferritin concentrations for the assessment of iron status and iron deficiency in populations.
- Serum retinol concentrations for determining the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in populations.
- Serum and red blood cell folate concentrations for assessing folate status in populations
- Erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations for assessing the prevalence of iron deficiency in populations.
- Urinary iodine concentrations for assessing the prevalence and severity of iodine deficiency in populations.
- Serum/plasma zinc concentrations for assessing the prevalence of zinc deficiency in populations.
- Serum/plasma vitamin C concentrations for estimating vitamin C deficiency in populations.
- Measuring erythrocyte transketolase concentrations and thiamine pyrophosphate effect for estimating thiamine deficiency in populations
- Urinary thiamine concentrations for estimating thiamine deficiency in populations
Resources
- Assessment of iodine deficiency disorders and monitoring their elimination
- Assessing the iron status of populations
- Iron deficiency anaemia: assessment, prevention and control
- Indicators for assessing vitamin A deficiency and their application in monitoring and evaluating intervention programmes
- Report: priorities in the assessment of vitamin A and iron status in populations
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Conclusions of a WHO Technical Consultation on folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies
pdf, 110kb
Food and Nutrition Bulletin, vol 29, no. 2 (supplement), S238-S246, June 2008
