Biocultural conditions and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in skeletal remains

Abstract

Vitamin D directly influences blood-calcium homeostasis and skeletal health. Individuals who do not have enough vitamin D do not have adequate blood calcium levels leading to a cascade of metabolic deficiencies and health problems, including bone diseases like rickets and osteomalacia. My Ph.D. focuses on the extent and impact of vitamin D deficiency in the recent historic past in the United States. I examined fifty skeletons from the Hamann-Todd Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for the presence or absence of vitamin D deficiency. Biocultural variables can affect one’s likelihood of being vitamin D deficient. To determine which variable(s) these individuals may be subjected to I used morgue records and death certificates to search Ancestry and FamilySearch for genealogical data for these individuals. Preliminary results show that vitamin D deficiency was present in 24% of the sample. Death certificate data was available for 100% of the sample and 100% of the individuals died in Ohio.