title: High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in healthy Irish adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Specific sub-groups of the population, such as older people, are at increased risk of poor vitamin D status. There is growing evidence, however, that vitamin D insufficiency may be a more widespread problem.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in a group of healthy Irish adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured by radioimmunoassay in 70 healthy Irish adults working in South Dublin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, half of the group (51%) had vitamin D insufficiency; this was more pronounced in wintertime, with prevalence rising to 58%. Winter was a significant negative predictor of serum 25-OH D levels. Sixteen percent of the participants reported taking a vitamin D-containing supplement (multivitamin), but this did not significantly influence the serum 25-OH D levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D insufficiency is not confined to "at-risk groups" and is likely to be prevalent in the general public in Ireland, especially in wintertime.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin 24, Ireland. maria.osullivan@tcd.ie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nic Suibhne
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Morain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D