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Vitamin B-12 is related to neurocognitive function in school-age children, yet sociodemographic and dietary correlates of vitamin B-12 status in this age group are not well characterized. The prevalences of vitamin B-12 or folate deficiencies in Colombia are unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 2800 low- and middle-income children aged 5-12 y from Bogotá's public schools. Plasma vitamin B-12 and erythrocyte folate concentrations (mean ± SD) were 327 ± 106 pmol/L and 858 ± 256 nmol/L, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin B-12 deficiency (<148 pmol/L) was 1.6% and the prevalence of marginal status (148-221 pmol/L) was 15.0%. Only 2 children had folate deficiency (<305 nmol/L). In multivariate analysis, mean vitamin B-12 concentrations significantly decreased with age and were 15 pmol/L higher in girls than boys (95%CI = 8, 23). Vitamin B-12 was inversely related to the mother's parity and positively associated with the amount of money spent on food per person per day at home and the household's neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) classification. Folate concentrations were lower in girls than in boys and significantly increased with the household's SES. We identified 4 dietary patterns with principal components analysis of a FFQ in a random subsample (n = 972). Plasma vitamin B-12 was strongly, positively associated with a pattern that included frequent intake of beef, chicken, and dairy products in a dose-response manner (P-trend, adjusted, = 0.008). Low vitamin B-12 status is not negligible in Colombian school children and is associated with poverty and marginal intake of animal food sources.

In conclusion, whereas folate deficiency is rare, marginal or deficient vitamin B-12 status is moderately prevalent in low- and middle-income school children from Bogota, Colombia. Dietary intake of animal foods, especially meat and dairy, appear to have a major influence on the vitamin B-12 status of this population. Inclusion of animal food sources in ongoing food assistance programs at schools could improve the vitamin B-12 situation of children in Colombia. The policy of wheat flour micronutrient fortification in Colombia currently includes iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate, but excudes vitamin B-12. Inclusion of vitamin B-12 into the micronutrient mix for wheat flour fortification needs to be considered. Future studies are warranted on the effects that suboptimal vitamin B-12 status may have on functional outcomes among school children, including neurocognitive and school performance, anemia, and morbidity.