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Minerals, trace elements, Vit. D and bone health

Seasonal changes in vitamin D status among Danish adolescent girls and elderly women: the influence of sun exposure and vitamin D intake

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 270–274 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives:

To determine seasonal variation in vitamin D status in healthy Caucasian adolescent girls and elderly community-dwelling women living in Denmark, and to quantify the impact of sun exposure and intake on the seasonal changes in vitamin D status.

Subjects/methods:

A 1-year longitudinal observational study of 54 girls (11–13 years) and 52 women (70–75 years). The participants were examined three times (winter–summer–winter). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25OHD) concentration and vitamin D intake were measured at each visit. Sun exposure was measured during summer.

Results:

S-25OHD concentrations (winter, summer, winter) were median (25, 75 percentiles) 23.4 (16.5, 36.4), 60.3 (42.7, 67.7), 29.5 (22.2, 40.4) and 47.2 (27.3, 61.1), 67.3 (35.1, 79.2), 50.5 (32.7, 65.5) nmol/l for girls and women, respectively. The usual sun habits were determinant (P=0.002) for change in vitamin D status from winter to summer. Vitamin D intake from supplements (P<0.0001) and diet (P=0.002) were determinants for change in vitamin D status from summer to winter. Winter vitamin D status of 50 nmol/l is achievable when vitamin D status the previous summer was ∼100 nmol/l. If summer vitamin D status is only ∼60 nmol/l, vitamin D status the following winter would be ∼28 nmol/l.

Conclusions:

Low vitamin D status among adolescent girls and elderly women during two consecutive winter seasons, improved vitamin D status during the summer and better vitamin D status in women than in girls was found. The estimations show that a summer S-25OHD concentration ∼100 nmol/l is needed to achieve a concentration of ∼50 nmol/l the following winter.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Karin Hess Ygil for the sampling and the intake calculations, and Tue Christensen and Anders Møller for the intake calculations. The study is part of the OPTIFORD-project ‘Towards a strategy for optimal vitamin D fortification’, financed by EU, the 5th Framework Program (QLK1-CT-2000-00623) and by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. The material has not been submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration for EJCN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Søborg, Denmark

    R Andersen, C Brot, H Mejborn, E Trolle, I Tetens & L Ovesen

  2. Department of Food Chemistry, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Søborg, Denmark

    J Jakobsen

  3. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    C Mølgaard

  4. Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    L T Skovgaard

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  1. R Andersen
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Correspondence to R Andersen.

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Guarantor: R Andersen.

Contributors: RA collected the data, wrote the manuscript and undertook the statistical analyses. RA, CB, CM, LO and LTS designed the study. JJ analyzed S-25OHD. HM, ET and IT facilitated the completion of the study. All the authors contributed to the manuscript.

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Andersen, R., Brot, C., Jakobsen, J. et al. Seasonal changes in vitamin D status among Danish adolescent girls and elderly women: the influence of sun exposure and vitamin D intake. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 270–274 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.3

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