Older adults need to know more about Vitamin D

Created April 2019

Older Adults’ Beliefs, Knowledge and Preferences for Achieving Healthy Vitamin D Status: A Narrative Review

Geriatrics (Basel). 2018 Jun; 3(2): 26., doi: 10.3390/geriatrics3020026

Tatiana Christides

* Vitamin D for adults and elderly – review Oct 2018 * Shin pain in elderly men 36 X more likely if low vitamin D – March 2017 * Half of Women Over 50 Desperately Need This Potent Nutrient (Vitamin D) – April 2018 * 4,000 IU of Vitamin D is OK - 19 organizations agree - 2018 * Seniors need at least 4,000 IU vitamin D, no test needed – Consensus Jan 2014 13 reasons why many seniors need more vitamin D (both dose and level) - July 2023 has the following {include} 1. Studies in Senior plus some other categories in VitaminDWiki Items in both categories Senior and Vitamin K are listed here: {category} Items in both categories Senior and Omega-3 are listed here: {category} Items in both categories Seniors and Vitamin D Receptor are listed here: {category} --- 1. Other important items for Seniors * Elderly skin produces about 3X less vitamin D from the sun/UV * Elderly get about 3X less vitamin D from the stomach * Vitamin D Receptor, which can restrict vitamin D from getting to cells, gets worse with age * One-a-day vitamins rarely have enough vitamin D to provide any benefit at all * Need only take 2 capsules per month - rarely need to worry about forgetting * Several studies have found that infrequent dosing is better than daily for seniors * Typically need more Vitamin D if in poor health * UV lamps are low cost and a good source of Vitamin D (especially if not outdoors much * Lets go to the sunny beach, it is just down the hall – Nov 2011 * Can fortify food with Vitamin D at home

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Autonomy and mobility are, in many cases, key elements underlying positive ageing. Vitamin D (vitD) is essential to maintaining musculoskeletal health and hence mobility; ensuring adequate vitD status is important in positive ageing. However, vitD deficiency persists in ~10–30% of older adults in the Western world. The aim of this review was to explore older adult vitD beliefs, knowledge and preferences, in order to identify means to prevent vitD deficiency respectful of older peoples’ autonomy. Academic search-engines were used to explore the research literature with the keywords: vitamin D; older adults; preferences; knowledge; practices; beliefs. 22 recent studies were identified; although the majority of older people knew of vitD, knowledge about increased fall risk secondary to deficiency was limited and knowledge did not always correlate with adequate intake or status.

There was evidence of confusion regarding vitD food sources, sun-exposure and health benefits, and although General Practitioners were trusted information sources they often did not discuss vitD with patients.

Preferences varied significantly depending on geographic location, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education and cultural factors; overall, older people wanted more clear information about vitD.

In conclusion, older people have a relatively high awareness of vitD, however, knowledge may be inaccurate and low in those most at risk, and knowledge of deficiency-associated fall risk is under-recognised. Furthermore, studies specifically addressing older adult preferences are lacking; an understanding of preferences, integrated into public health guidelines and implementation strategies, is key not only to decreasing the risk of vitamin D deficiency but also to enabling autonomy in older adults.

Tags: Seniors