Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in radiologists: a cross-sectional study
Skeletal Radiology, Online: 02 February 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-018-2896-6
Christoph Amadeus Agten, Lukas Margaroli, Susanne Bensler, Benjamin Fritz, Andrea B. Rosskopf, Ulrike Held, Christian W.A. Pfirrmann
Objective: To compare the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency between radiologists and a control group of non-radiologists.
Materials and methods
This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Swiss Congress of Radiology in May of 2016. Attendees (radiologists and non-radiologists) were asked to give a venous blood sample to measure vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) blood serum level. Vitamin D insufficiency was defined as < 50 nmol/l (30 ng/ml). We collected information on profession, age, gender, vitamin D supplements, recent sunny vacation, and eating fish. We compared vitamin D between radiologists and non-radiologists.
Results: A total of 137 radiologists (mean age, 38 ± 10 years) and 164 non-radiologists (mean age, 40 ± 12 years) participated in the study. Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in both groups was similar (58.4% (80/137) vs. 53.7% (88/164); p = 0.240). Forty-three participants were under vitamin D supplementation. In those without supplementation, we found no difference in vitamin D between groups (44.0 ± 16.2 nmol/l (17.6 ± 6.5 ng/ml) vs. 44.4 ± 16.9 nmol/l (17.8 ± 6.8 ng/ml); p = 0.757). Average vitamin D levels for radiologists were slightly lower (−0.98 nmol/l (0.39 ng/ml), 95% confidence interval − 5.96 to 4.00 (− 2.38 to 1.6 ng/ml); p = 0.699), when adjusting for the potential confounders, but not statistically significant.
The odds ratio of vitamin D insufficiency for radiologists versus non-radiologists was 1.7 (95% CI = 0.94–3.06; p = 0.078) after adjusting for the other independent variables.
Conclusions: The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in radiologists was high (58.4%), but not substantially higher than in non-radiologists.
data online includes
| Radiologists | Others | prob of being in error | |
| Weekly working | 50 hours | 42 hours | < 0.001 |
| Daylight at work | 20 (14.9%) | 73 (49%) | < 0.001 |
Daylight at work?? Are they shifworkers, Do they have few windows?