Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults aged 25 years and older : a national, population-based study
Daly, Robin M., Gagnon, Claudia, Lu, Zhong X., Magliano, Dianna J., Dunstan, David W., Sikaris, Ken A., Zimmet, Paul Z., Ebeling, Peter R. and Shaw, Jonathan E. 2012, Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults aged 25 years and older : a national, population-based study, Clinical endocrinology, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 26-35, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04320.x.
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Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults aged 25 years and older : a national, population-based study
Objective Vitamin D deficiency is recognized as a global public health problem, but the population-based prevalence of deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults is not known. This study evaluated the vitamin D status of Australian adults aged ≥25 years and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in this population.
Design and Patients We studied a national sample of 11 247 Australian adults enrolled in the 1999/2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study drawn from 42 randomly selected districts throughout Australia.
Measurements Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured by immunoassay. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a concentration <50 nmol/l. Information on demographic and lifestyle factors was derived from interview-administered questionnaires.
Results The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 63 nmol/l (95% CI: 59–67 nmol/l). Only 4% of the population had a level <25 nmol/l, but the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/l) was 31% (22% men; 39% women); 73% had levels <75 nmol/l. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency increased significantly with age, was greater in women, in those of non-Europid origin, in the obese and those who were physically inactive and with a higher level of education. Deficiency was also more common during winter and in people residing in southern Australia (latitude >35°S); 42% of women and 27% of men were deficient during summer–autumn, which increased to 58% and 35%, respectively, during winter–spring.
Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is common in Australia affecting nearly one-third of adults aged ≥25 years. This indicates that strategies are needed at the population level to improve vitamin D status of Australians.
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