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A Monte Carlo simulation to validate the EAR cut-point method for assessing the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy at the population level

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

B de Lauzon ,
JL Volatier  and
A Martin
B de Lauzon*
Affiliation:
INSERM, U258, 16 avenue Paul-Vaillant Couturier, 94807 Villejuif Cedex, France
JL Volatier
Affiliation:
Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Maisons-Alfort, France
A Martin
Affiliation:
Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments, Maisons-Alfort, France
*
*Corresponding author: Email delauzon@vjf.inserm.fr
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Abstract

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Objective:

The aim of this study was to validate the EAR cut-point method for assessing the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy at the population level.

Design and subjects:

Different methods for estimating the prevalence of inadequate intake were compared: the cut-off point method, with cut-off points at the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), 0.66 RDA, 0.50 RDA and the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR); the probability approach; and a Monte Carlo simulation. In total, 591 men and 674 women, aged 20–55 years, were included in the analyses.

Results:

The prevalence of inadequate intake as estimated by the EAR cut-point method was similar to the prevalence of inadequacy estimated by both probabilistic methods. The cut-point method with RDA, 0.66 RDA and 0.50 RDA as cut-off limits induced an over- or an underestimation of the real prevalence of inadequacy.

Conclusions:

Probabilistic methods consider both the intake variability and the requirement variability, and, as a result, their estimation should be closer to the real prevalence of inadequacy. The use of the EAR cut-point method yields a good estimation of the prevalence of inadequate intake, comparable to the probability approach, and limits over- and underestimation of the prevalence induced by other cut-off points.

Keywords

Nutrient inadequacyRecommended Dietary AllowanceEstimated Average RequirementMonte Carlo simulation
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 7 , October 2004 , pp. 893 - 900
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2004

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