Passive Commuting and Higher Sedentary Time Is Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency in Adult and Older Women: Results from Chilean National Health Survey 2016⁻2017.

Patricio Solis-Urra,Julio Plaza-Diaz,Juan Zavala-Crichton,Carlos Cristi-Montero,Javier Romero-Parra,Maria Saez-Lara

doi:10.3390/nu11020300

Patricio Solis-Urra, Julio Plaza-Diaz + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11020300

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Abstract

The aim was to investigate the associations between different physical activity (PA) patterns and sedentary time (ST) with vitamin D deficiency (<12 ng/mL) in a large sample of Chilean women. In this cross-sectional study, the final sample included 1245 adult and 686 older women. The PA levels, mode of commuting, ST, and leisure-time PA were self-reported. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as <12 ng/mL and insufficiency as <20 ng/mL. A higher ST was associated with vitamin D deficiency (odds ratio (OR): 2.4, 95%: 1.6–4.3) in adults, and passive commuting was associated with vitamin D deficiency in older (OR: 1.7, 95%: 1.1–2.7). Additionally, we found a joint association in the high ST/passive commuting group in adults (OR: 2.8, 95%: 1.6–4.9) and older (OR: 2.8, 95%: 1.5–5.2) with vitamin D deficiency, in respect to low ST/active commuting. The PA levels and leisure-time PA were not associated with vitamin D deficiency. In conclusion, mode of commuting and ST seems important variables related to vitamin D deficiency. Promoting a healthy lifestyle appears important also for vitamin D levels in adult and older women. Further studies are needed to establish causality of this association and the effect of vitamin D deficiency in different diseases in this population.

Highlights

Vitamin D was first characterized as a vitamin in the 20th century and nowadays it is recognized as a prohormone [1]
The results showed that passive commuting is associated with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in older women, whereas high sedentary time (ST) is associated with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in adult women
We identify a joint effect of high ST/passive commuting on vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in both groups

Summary

Introduction

Vitamin D was first characterized as a vitamin in the 20th century and nowadays it is recognized as a prohormone [1]. Some observational studies have revealed that a decrease in the vitamin D levels in women is related with reduced fertility [4], antenatal and postpartum depression [3]; as well high parathyroid hormone, the increasing risk of suffering sarcopenia and impaired glucose metabolism in the general population [5,6]. Vitamin D deficiency is rare in developed countries, subclinical forms occur, and they have public health relevance since low vitamin D concentrations are highly prevalent among population living in high latitudes, mainly indoors, and among those who are older or dark skinned [11]. Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D [12], a very rough general estimation indicates that about 80% of vitamin D supply comes from skin ultraviolet-B-induced production, whereas only 20% comes from dietary intake; this varies considerably depending on different factors such as seasonal/sun exposure habits, latitude, nutrition/supplement intake or ethnicity [13]

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