BMC Public Health (Dec 2010)

Vitamin D status among adults in the Aegean region of Turkey

  • Güçlü Feyzullah,
  • Pala Tümer,
  • Güvenç Yesim,
  • Onur Ece,
  • Kafesçiler Sabriye,
  • Dinç Gönül,
  • Hekimsoy Zeliha,
  • Özmen Bilgin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-782
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 782

Abstract

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Abstract Background Vitamin D is a lipid-soluble hormone found in certain foods and synthesized from precursors in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. Vitamin D plays a critical role in bone metabolism and many cellular and immunological processes and low levels have been associated with several chronic and infectious diseases. Vitamin D status is assessed by measuring the concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Vitamin D deficiency is reported to be common worldwide, but little has been reported about the vitamin D status of adults in Turkey. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in adults residing in a city in the Aegean region of Turkey. Methods A survey was conducted on a representative sample of adults over 20 years old in a non-coastal city at the end of the winter season. Of the 209 households selected by random sampling, 8.6% (n = 18) were unoccupied and 21.5% (n = 45) refused to participate. Blood samples were taken and questions about medical history, vitamin supplementation, sunlight exposure, and dietary calcium and vitamin D intake were asked in face-to-face interviews of 391 adults living in the remaining households. Results The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 16.9±13.09 ng/mL, with 74.9% of the subjects having 25(OH)D deficiency ( Conclusion Adults living in an urban, non-coastal setting in Turkey have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.