Folatos y hierro en mujeres en edad fértil de una comunidad en Venezuela afectada por la incidencia de defectos del tubo neural

The objective of this transversal study was to determine folate and iron nutritional status of women in fertile age from Municipio Jiménez, Lara State, Venezuela. The sampling was probabilistic by conglomerates from the urban and rural areas, selecting 15 conglomerates from which women between 12 and 45 years (269), were studied. After signing informed consent, participating were interviewed for personal data, antecedents related to folate and iron, socioeconomic data (Graffar-Mendez Castellano method and unsatisfied basic needs). In blood sample was determined Hemoglobin, and Erythrocytic Folate (FE). Serum was obtained to determine Ferritin and Serum Folate (FS). 53,53% of the sample presented low FS levels, 10.78% were FS deficient. Severe FE deficiency was present in 80.7% of the cases, moderate deficiency affected 5,9%. For both tests, median was higher for women in treatment with Acido Fólico or pregnant (p=0,000), median for FE was higher for adults (p=0.001) and in non poor women (p=0.011). There were no significant differences for coffee, alcohol, anticonceptive consumption, urban or rural resident or socioeconomic strata. The prevalence of anemia was 11,2% being significantly more frequent in adults than in adolescents (p=0,029) and in urban women (p=0,042). Low ferritin were found in 37,3% of the sample, the effect of different variables was not statistically significant. In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of iron and folate deficiencies in women of fertile age from Municipio Jiménez, which could constitute a conditioning factor for the appearance of neural tube defects. El objetivo de este estudio transversal fue identificar el estado nutricional de folatos y hierro en mujeres en edad fértil del Municipio Jiménez, Estado Lara, Venezuela. El muestreo fue probabilístico por conglomerados del área urbana y rural, seleccionándose 15 conglomerados donde se estudiaron a las mujeres entre 12 y 45 años (269 mujeres). Previa firma del consentimiento informado, se les practicó: Encuesta con datos personales, antecedentes y variables relacionadas con folatos y hierro; datos socioeconómicos (Encuesta Graffar-Méndez Castellano y Necesidades Básicas Insatisfechas); en muestra de sangre se determinó Hemoglobina y Folato Eritrocitario (FE); en suero se determinó Ferritina, y Folato Sérico (FS). 53,53% de la muestra presentó valores bajos de FS, y el 10,78% valores deficientes. 80,7% presentó deficiencia severa según FE y 5,9% deficiencia moderada. En am