Table 1.3.a. Serum vitamin B12: Total population

Geometric mean and selected percentiles of serum concentrations (in pg/mL) for the total U.S. population aged 3 years and older, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2002.

Geometric mean
(95% conf. interval)

Selected percentiles (95% conf. interval)

Sample
size

5th

50th

95th

Males and Females

Total, 3 years and older

488

(483-494)

237

(234-242)

485

(477-492)

1000

(977-1030)

15914

3–5 years

783

(745-822)

446

(425-475)

788

(741-823)

1380

(1300-1520)

800

6–11 years

692

(672-712)

369

(344-410)

700

(682-718)

1260

(1190-1310)

1907

12–19 years

505

(496-515)

267

(254-279)

510

(499-523)

941

(912-979)

4331

20–39 years

446

(439-453)

233

(222-238)

446

(438-455)

812

(787-843)

3185

40–59 years

461

(453-469)

233

(224-241)

452

(442-460)

919

(883-973)

2676

60 years and older

478

(466-489)

225

(212-233)

474

(467-485)

1010

(976-1060)

3015

Males

Total, 3 years and older

488

(480-497)

248

(240-258)

485

(477-494)

961

(922-993)

7741

3–5 years

763

(715-814)

432

(373-468)

756

(699-824)

1450

(1250-1650)

417

6–11 years

690

(667-715)

368

(344-393)

697

(673-718)

1270

(1200-1330)

972

12–19 years

507

(493-522)

278

(254-297)

512

(494-528)

920

(892-952)

2165

20–39 years

458

(446-470)

243

(231-263)

460

(445-475)

795

(766-826)

1355

40–59 years

458

(447-469)

241

(226-256)

452

(438-460)

847

(792-898)

1337

60 years and older

451

(439-464)

224

(204-236)

456

(439-469)

907

(859-1000)

1495

Females

Total, 3 years and older

488

(482-494)

232

(226-237)

483

(475-492)

1040

(1010-1080)

8173

3–5 years

806

(762-852)

475

(446-514)

804

(755-859)

1340

(1270-1440)

383

6–11 years

694

(668-720)

382

(338-425)

700

(676-731)

1250

(1110-1310)

935

12–19 years

504

(494-514)

256

(241-267)

509

(495-525)

966

(936-1000)

2166

20–39 years

435

(427-443)

222

(210-232)

433

(418-447)

839

(784-913)

1830

40–59 years

463

(448-479)

223

(201-238)

453

(435-473)

1000

(920-1120)

1339

60 years and older

499

(482-515)

227

(209-237)

494

(479-510)

1060

(994-1140)

1520

Table 1.3.b. Serum vitamin B12: Mexican Americans

Geometric mean and selected percentiles of serum concentrations (in pg/mL) for Mexican Americans in the U.S. population aged 3 years and older, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2002.

Geometric mean
(95% conf. interval)

Selected percentiles (95% conf. interval)

Sample
size

5th

50th

95th

Males and Females

Total, 3 years and older

532

(513-553)

260

(249-273)

514

(493-531)

1120

(1060-1200)

4695

3–5 years

821

(784-860)

447

(402-526)

809

(764-870)

1470

(1330-1530)

266

6–11 years

701

(672-731)

415

(390-447)

705

(676-731)

1190

(1090-1270)

652

12–19 years

507

(491-523)

268

(249-288)

504

(494-519)

883

(847-920)

1637

20–39 years

477

(452-504)

242

(213-260)

453

(437-469)

1010

(875-1180)

866

40–59 years

518

(491-546)

264

(258-295)

475

(452-514)

1100

(947-1500)

634

60 years and older

497

(464-532)

215

(203-237)

482

(454-514)

1090

(969-1460)

640

Males

Total, 3 years and older

507

(486-529)

263

(245-278)

494

(473-516)

999

(936-1100)

2293

3–5 years

798

(744-855)

428†

(351-553)

779

(704-833)

1490†

(1250-2310)

139

6–11 years

690

(646-738)

411

(379-455)

694

(659-729)

1190

(1040-1370)

338

12–19 years

489

(472-507)

264

(242-292)

488

(479-501)

849

(808-896)

811

20–39 years

454

(423-489)

249

(200-279)

452

(423-468)

771

(731-858)

383

40–59 years

486

(465-507)

292

(264-308)

469

(429-514)

891

(792-1390)

301

60 years and older

451

(414-491)

206

(162-238)

444

(410-473)

1070

(911-1250)

321

Females

Total, 3 years and older

562

(536-589)

257

(241-269)

533

(514-552)

1200

(1120-1360)

2402

3–5 years

848

(799-901)

451†

(408-548)

853

(775-933)

1390†

(1200-1520)

127

6–11 years

713

(681-747)

424

(382-475)

711

(689-746)

1160

(1080-1280)

314

12–19 years

527

(505-549)

277

(254-296)

525

(504-534)

915

(870-939)

826

20–39 years

506

(463-553)

232

(202-257)

461

(444-482)

1190

(1040-1720)

483

40–59 years

553

(507-603)

258

(214-277)

491

(461-528)

1310

(1000-4570)

333

60 years and older

540

(494-592)

235

(196-271)

525

(484-581)

1180

(965-2170)

319

† Estimate is subject to greater uncertainty due to small cell size.

Table 1.3.c. Serum vitamin B12: Non-Hispanic blacks

Geometric mean and selected percentiles of serum concentrations (in pg/mL) for non-Hispanic blacks in the U.S. population aged 3 years and older, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2002.

Geometric mean
(95% conf. interval)

Selected percentiles (95% conf. interval)

Sample
size

5th

50th

95th

Males and Females

Total, 3 years and older

568

(558-579)

273

(263-289)

569

(556-583)

1180

(1150-1220)

3712

3–5 years

867

(829-906)

486

(403-567)

859

(815-929)

1540

(1330-1700)

234

6–11 years

803

(775-832)

413

(375-452)

812

(786-845)

1460

(1320-1630)

603

12–19 years

585

(569-602)

298

(274-313)

588

(566-609)

1150

(1070-1230)

1254

20–39 years

508

(491-525)

261

(233-289)

511

(492-530)

939

(864-977)

593

40–59 years

525

(506-545)

263

(251-277)

522

(502-553)

1110

(1020-1190)

541

60 years and older

542

(511-576)

246

(224-280)

560

(506-605)

1190

(1030-1410)

487

Males

Total, 3 years and older

558

(543-574)

270

(254-291)

563

(545-575)

1150

(1090-1230)

1818

3–5 years

861

(799-928)

479†

(361-558)

859

(791-931)

1650†

(1320-1880)

121

6–11 years

780

(744-818)

413

(368-478)

775

(752-822)

1390

(1250-1520)

304

12–19 years

561

(540-583)

295

(256-324)

567

(535-602)

1000

(952-1080)

638

20–39 years

511

(483-541)

253

(228-296)

518

(492-549)

939

(838-1170)

249

40–59 years

507

(485-531)

261

(245-294)

507

(477-551)

1020

(888-1140)

274

60 years and older

493

(458-531)

239

(215-269)

481

(458-542)

1030

(910-1320)

232

Females

Total, 3 years and older

577

(566-589)

277

(264-291)

576

(560-590)

1200

(1160-1260)

1894

3–5 years

873

(815-934)

564†

(419-611)

857

(804-953)

1430†

(1250-1560)

113

6–11 years

827

(791-865)

409

(373-452)

854

(803-891)

1490

(1320-1930)

299

12–19 years

611

(592-630)

302

(270-315)

607

(584-634)

1280

(1160-1460)

616

20–39 years

505

(485-526)

271

(238-301)

505

(476-530)

911

(814-975)

344

40–59 years

542

(516-568)

263

(228-287)

538

(507-575)

1160

(1100-1250)

267

60 years and older

577

(539-617)

249

(219-300)

607

(554-647)

1260

(1080-1630)

255

† Estimate is subject to greater uncertainty due to small cell size.

Table 1.3.d. Serum vitamin B12: Non-Hispanic whites

Geometric mean and selected percentiles of serum concentrations (in pg/mL) for non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. population aged 3 years and older, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2002.

Geometric mean
(95% conf. interval)

Selected percentiles (95% conf. interval)

Sample
size

5th

50th

95th

Males and Females

Total, 3 years and older

472

(465-479)

235

(230-238)

471

(461-479)

938

(904-976)

6150

3–5 years

728

(679-781)

440†

(389-471)

730

(659-795)

1300†

(1110-1510)

219

6–11 years

662

(639-686)

350

(336-385)

680

(660-699)

1170

(1060-1280)

494

12–19 years

493

(478-508)

265

(244-276)

503

(483-523)

918

(883-963)

1072

20–39 years

431

(422-441)

228

(216-236)

434

(422-450)

763

(741-800)

1382

40–59 years

449

(440-457)

228

(218-238)

440

(428-456)

882

(831-934)

1279

60 years and older

473

(460-486)

226

(209-236)

471

(462-480)

1000

(954-1060)

1704

Males

Total, 3 years and older

477

(466-487)

244

(236-256)

474

(463-486)

897

(868-944)

3011

3–5 years

701

(635-773)

424†

(303-471)

682

(612-778)

1200†

(1070-1590)

116

6–11 years

666

(634-699)

344

(310-369)

679

(647-713)

1250

(1080-1430)

260

12–19 years

500

(479-522)

279

(253-299)

509

(482-532)

903

(846-935)

534

20–39 years

451

(436-468)

245

(233-271)

454

(436-475)

762

(721-811)

577

40–59 years

452

(439-465)

236

(220-251)

445

(429-461)

817

(772-883)

667

60 years and older

452

(438-467)

226

(204-244)

457

(439-471)

893

(836-986)

857

Females

Total, 3 years and older

467

(459-475)

226

(215-234)

467

(453-478)

976

(930-1010)

3139

3–5 years

760

(703-820)

471†

(424-517)

754

(690-820)

1310†

(1100-1510)

103

6–11 years

657

(627-689)

378

(336-425)

679

(632-701)

1090

(976-1250)

234

12–19 years

486

(470-502)

248

(236-267)

497

(470-523)

940

(870-1000)

538

20–39 years

413

(403-423)

216

(206-227)

412

(398-424)

758

(736-859)

805

40–59 years

445

(428-463)

218

(192-236)

434

(413-459)

920

(853-1060)

612

60 years and older

490

(472-508)

227

(199-238)

482

(470-502)

1060

(983-1170)

847

† Estimate is subject to greater uncertainty due to small cell size.