The effects of body weight, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, living situation, smoking status, alcohol consumption, energy intake and animal protein intake, chronic diseases, health judgement, and ability to perform activities of daily living on plasma folate and vitamin B12 concentrations in elderly people were studied. Cross-sectional data were collected in 570 males and 554 females, aged 70-75 years and living in 17 towns in 11 European countries. The data collection was part of the SENECA study on nutrition and health in the elderly. Most of the associations with plasma vitamin B12 and plasma folate were either non significant or very small, with the exception of the relation between subjective health judgement and plasma folate levels in women. The anthropometric, life-style, and dietary factors do not seem to be major risk factors for low plasma vitamin B12 and folate concentrations in this relatively healthy elderly population.