Table 3

Prevalence rates % (95% confidence intervals), age adjusted by direct standardisation to the total sample, of high plasma homocysteine (>14.0 μmol/l) and low plasma folate (<6.8 nmol/l), for Indians (I), Malays (M), and Chinese (C), by gender, for age group 30 to 69 years

Indians (men=129, women=119)Malays (men=104, women=106)Chinese (men=136, women=132)Significance, p value
I v MI v CM v C
Homocysteine (>14.0 μmol/l)
 Men60.0 (51.5, 68.5)53.9 (44.4, 63.5)56.6 (48.2, 64.9)0.350.580.68
 Women21.9 (14.6, 29.2)37.8 (28.6, 47.1)30.6 (22.7, 38.5)<0.010.110.24
Folate (<6.8 nmol/l)
 Men44.9 (36.3, 53.4)45.3 (35.7, 54.9)31.4 (23.6, 39.2)0.950.020.03
 Women36.6 (27.9, 45.2)24.5 (16.3, 32.7)12.6 (6.9, 18.3)0.050.020.13