Groups associated with less than 20ng vitamin D – NHANES Jan 2011

Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults

Nutrition Research Volume 31, Issue 1, Pages 48-54 (January 2011)
Kimberly Y.Z. ForrestCorresponding Author Informationemail address, Wendy L. Stuhldreher
Department of Public Health & Social Work, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, PA 16057

Mounting evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency could be linked to several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its correlates to test the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency was common in the US population, especially in certain minority groups. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 to 2006 data were analyzed for vitamin D levels in adult participants (N = 4495). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ?20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).

The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 41.6%, with the highest rate seen in blacks (82.1%), followed by Hispanics (69.2%). Vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common among those who had no college education, were obese, with a poor health status, hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, or not consuming milk daily (all P < .001).

Multivariate analyses showed that

  • being from a non-white race,
  • not college educated,
  • obese,
  • having low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,
  • poor health, and
  • no daily milk consumption

were all significantly, independently associated with vitamin D deficiency (all P < .05).


In summary, vitamin D deficiency was common in the US population, especially among blacks and Hispanics. Given that vitamin D deficiency is linked to some of the important risk factors of leading causes of death in the United States, it is important that health professionals are aware of this connection and offer dietary and other intervention strategies to correct vitamin D deficiency, especially in minority groups.
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See also VitaminDWiki

It appears that NHANES data does not capture things which decrease vitamin D

  • Smog, cloudy, live in city
  • Gut problems
  • MS
  • Crohn's,
  • Liver problems
  • Depression (older than 19)
  • Lack of Magnesium (no monitoriing of supplements nor blood testing)
  • No monitoring of vitamin D nor co-factors supplementation
  • Was person gestated in a sunny climate (probably not as efficient at making vitamin D from the sun)
  • Extreme latitude . . .

Possible Vitamin D Interactions

File at the bottom of this page shows what NHANES data is captured vs year

A similar cause and affect diagram for African-Americans - by Grant 2010

for details see: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page_id=1096

CLICK HERE for Arfican-American page

See also Criteria to associate a disease with the lack of vitamin D

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