title: Teenage girls and elderly women living in northern Europe have low winter vitamin D status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D; S-25OHD) in adolescent girls and elderly community-dwelling women living in four countries of northern Europe and to explain differences in S-25OHD concentrations between and within the countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study conducted in a standardised way during February-March. S-25OHD was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin D and calcium intake was calculated using a standardised food composition database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 199 girls (mean (s.d.) age 12.6 (0.5) y) and 221 women (mean (s.d.) age 71.8 (1.4) y).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (inter quartiles) concentration of S-25OHD was 29.4 (20.3, 38.3) nmol/l for the girls and 40.7 (28.0, 54.2) nmol/l for the women. S-25OHD below 25 nmol/l was found in 37% of the girls and 17% of the women, and S-25OHD below 50 nmol/l was found in 92% of the girls and 37% of the women. Positive significant determinants for S-25OHD in girls were use of vitamin D supplements, and in women sun habits, dietary vitamin D intake, use of vitamin D and calcium supplements. Body mass index and smoking were negative determinants in women. For women predictors could explain the differences between countries (P(country) = 0.09, R(2) = 0.39), but for girls the difference remained significant even after including predictors (P(country) = 0.03, R(2) = 0.15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D status is low in northern Europe during winter. More than one-third of the adolescent girls have vitamin D status below 25 nmol/l and almost all are below 50 nmol/l. Two-thirds of the elderly community-dwelling women have vitamin D status below 50 nmol/l. Use of vitamin D supplements is a significant positive determinant for S-25OHD for both girls and women (P = 0.001).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The European Fifth Framework Programme (Contract No. QLK1-CT-2000-00623).
authors.affiliation: Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Mørkhøj Bygade 19, DK-2860 Søborg, Denmark. ria@dfvf.dk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mølgaard
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Skovgaard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brot
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Cashman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chabros
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charzewska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kärkkäinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiely
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamberg-Allardt
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Moreiras
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Natri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'brien
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rogalska-Niedzwiedz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ovesen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D012621:Seasons; D012907:Smoking; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium