National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population 1999–2002

This report provides reference information for blood or urine concentrations of 27 biochemical indicators of diet and nutrition measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Laboratory Sciences at the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH/DLS). The indicators were measured in specimens from a representative sample of the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population during all or part of the four-year period from 1999 through 2002. These specimens were collected by CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is conducted by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NHANES is a series of surveys designed to collect data on the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. This report covers one important facet in the assessment of nutritional status of the U.S. population: biochemical measurements. Other aspects, such as anthropometric body measurements, hematologic measurements, clinical signs of nutritional deficiency or excess, and dietary intake, are not covered.

The primary purpose of this report is to improve our understanding of the concentrations of biochemical indicators of diet and nutrition in the general U.S. population and in selected subpopulations. These data will help assess inadequate or excess intake and will inform analyses on the relation between biochemical indicators and health outcomes.