Abstract
The prevalence of low vitamin D status in the elderly population of subtropical area and the potential risk/protective factors have not been addressed. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, which collected demographic/anthropometric data and information on diet habit and sun exposure, recruited 170 subjects with mean age 70.9±5.6 in rural areas of southern Taiwan. Serum 25-OH vitamin D, calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone were also measured. Using cut-off level of 30 ng/mL, subjects were divided into low (n = 95) and normal (n = 75) serum vitamin D groups. The results demonstrated a low vitamin D status in 30.6% of men and 57.7% of women. Dietary vitamin D intake was another factor associated with vitamin D status (p = 0.02). Logistic regression identified inadequate intake of vitamin D-rich food as the only risk factor for low vitamin D status in men (OR = 4.55, p = 0.01), whereas inadequate sun exposure was the only predictable risk with dose-response relationship in women (low vs. high sun exposure, OR = 6.84, p = 0.018; moderate vs. high sun exposure, OR = 6.67, p = 0.005). In conclusion, low vitamin D status was common in the elderly of subtropical rural areas. Low sun exposure and inadequate dietary vitamin D consumption were associated with a low vitamin D status in females and males, respectively.
Highlights
Vitamin D, which is one essential nutrient for intestinal calcium absorption to facilitate mineralization of bone [1], helps in maintaining muscle strength and function [2], but has been reported to reinforce immunity [3, 4] as well as improve outcomes of cardiovascular diseases [5,6,7]
A low vitamin D status was demonstrated in 30.6% men and 57.7% of women
Low vitamin D status, including vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, was common in the aged population living in subtropical rural areas
Summary
Vitamin D, which is one essential nutrient for intestinal calcium absorption to facilitate mineralization of bone [1], helps in maintaining muscle strength and function [2], but has been reported to reinforce immunity [3, 4] as well as improve outcomes of cardiovascular diseases [5,6,7]. At the other end of the spectrum, vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be associated with rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, risk of fracture, and cancers [1, 8,9,10]. It has been reported to be associated with colorectal, lung, prostate, breast and ovarian cancer [11]. Vitamin D supplementation has been reported to reduce all-cause. Hypovitaminosis D and the elderly cancer mortality [12]. Vitamin D supplementation seems to lower the risk of acute respiratory infection and asthma exacerbation [13, 14]
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