Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 533–541. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602108 Published online 16 February 2005
Teenage girls and elderly women living in northern Europe have low winter vitamin D status
Guarantor: R Andersen.
Contributors: RA wrote the manuscript and undertook the statistical analyses with advice from LTS, CM and LO. CB, KDC, JC, AF, CL-A, OM, CM and LO designed the study. JC undertook the standardised protocol. RA, EC, MKä, MKi, AMN, MO'B and MR-N collected the data. JJ undertook the measurements of S-25OHD. All contributed to the manuscript.
R Andersen1, C Mølgaard2, L T Skovgaard3, C Brot1, K D Cashman4, E Chabros5, J Charzewska5, A Flynn4, J Jakobsen1, M Karkkainen6, M Kiely4, C Lamberg-Allardt6, O Moreiras7, A M Natri6, M O'Brien4, M Rogalska-Niedzwiedz5 and L Ovesen1
- 1Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Denmark
- 2The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark
- 3University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- 4University College Cork, Ireland
- 5National Food and Nutrition Institute, Poland
- 6University of Helsinki, Finland
- 7University Complutense of Madrid, Spain
Correspondence: R Andersen, Department of Nutrition, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark. E-mail: ria@dfvf.dk
Received 30 April 2004; Revised 29 September 2004; Accepted 26 November 2004; Published online 16 February 2005.
Abstract
Objective:
To determine the vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D; S-25OHD) in adolescent girls and elderly community-dwelling women living in four countries of northern Europe and to explain differences in S-25OHD concentrations between and within the countries.
Design:
A cross-sectional observational study conducted in a standardised way during February–March. S-25OHD was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin D and calcium intake was calculated using a standardised food composition database.
Setting:
Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Poland.
Subjects:
A total of 199 girls (mean (s.d.) age 12.6 (0.5) y) and 221 women (mean (s.d.) age 71.8 (1.4) y).
Results:
The median (inter quartiles) concentration of S-25OHD was 29.4 (20.3, 38.3) nmol/l for the girls and 40.7 (28.0, 54.2) nmol/l for the women. S-25OHD below 25 nmol/l was found in 37% of the girls and 17% of the women, and S-25OHD below 50 nmol/l was found in 92% of the girls and 37% of the women. Positive significant determinants for S-25OHD in girls were use of vitamin D supplements, and in women sun habits, dietary vitamin D intake, use of vitamin D and calcium supplements. Body mass index and smoking were negative determinants in women. For women predictors could explain the differences between countries (Pcountry=0.09, R2=0.39), but for girls the difference remained significant even after including predictors (Pcountry=0.03, R2=0.15).
Conclusion:
Vitamin D status is low in northern Europe during winter. More than one-third of the adolescent girls have vitamin D status below 25 nmol/l and almost all are below 50 nmol/l. Two-thirds of the elderly community-dwelling women have vitamin D status below 50 nmol/l. Use of vitamin D supplements is a significant positive determinant for S-25OHD for both girls and women (P=0.001).
Sponsorship:
The European Fifth Framework Programme (Contract No. QLK1-CT-2000-00623).
Keywords:
hypovitaminosis D, vitamin D status, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, elderly women, adolescent girls, Europe
