Cobalamin and
folate are especially important for women of childbearing age due to their ubiquitous role in fetal growth and development. Population-based data on
cobalamin and
folate status are lacking from Nepal, where diets are mostly vegetarian. The objectives of the study were to investigate
cobalamin and
folate intake and status, and to explore associations with socio-demographics, anthropometrics,
anemia, and dietary habits. Following a random selection of geographical clusters, we collected blood samples from 500 non-pregnant women and 24-h dietary recalls and food frequency questionnaires from a subsample of 379 women. Twenty percent of the women did not consume any food containing
cobalamin during the days recalled, and in 72% nutritional
cobalamin intake was <1 μg/day. Eighty-four percent of the women had
cobalamin intake lower than the estimated average requirement (EAR) (<2 μg/day). In contrast, only 12% of the women had a
folate intake less than 100 μg per day, whereas 62% had intake between 100 and 320 μg. Low plasma
cobalamin (<150 pmol/L) was found in 42% of the women, most of whom (88%) also had elevated levels of
methylmalonic acid. Our results indicated a high prevalence of nutritional
cobalamin deficiency, while
folate deficiency was uncommon.