27 percent of Canadian women had less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Sept 2010

Prevalence and Predictors of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Women of Reproductive Age Living in Northern Latitude.

Eur J Endocrinol. 2010 Sep 2.
Gagnon C, Baillargeon JP, Desmarais G, Fink GD.
C Gagnon, Division of Endocrinology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) </=50 nmol/L and insufficiency (serum 25OHD 51-74 nmol/L) during summer and predictors of serum 25OHD in young women of reproductive age. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 153 healthy, ambulatory and essentially Caucasian women, aged 18-41 years, were recruited between May and September 2006. Serum 25OHD and parathormone (PTH) levels were measured and questionnaires administered. Results: 3.9% of women had serum 25OHD </=50 nmol/L with an additional 26.8% in the insufficient range. Most women (56.9%) had their blood sampled in September. Month of blood collection significantly influenced serum 25OHD.
Body-mass index (BMI) was inversely associated with serum 25OHD,
while traveling to a warmer climate during winter/spring and
oral contraceptive (OCP) use were associated with higher serum 25OHD.
Sunscreen was used by 77.8% of women, but only
3.3% reported taking vitamin D supplements.
BMI, serum PTH, travel to a warmer climate and OCP use were independently and significantly associated with serum 25OHD, after adjustment for month of sampling, and explained 40% of the variance in serum 25OHD.

Conclusions: In Canada, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is relatively high (30%) during summer in healthy women of reproductive age. Given the expected decrease in serum 25OHD during winter and the low consumption of vitamin D supplements, a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is to be anticipated during winter, except maybe for those traveling to a warmer climate. PMID: 20813789


1998 study had found that women using oral contraceptives had 32 ng of vitamin D versus those not using OCP had 24 ng

Wonder why

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