title: Vitamin D status in healthy free-living elderly men and women living in Quebec, Canada.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess vitamin D status in relation to age, sex, season, adiposity, physical activity level, and supplement use in healthy elderly Canadians living in Québec.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for 405 healthy free-living elderly Quebécers aged between 68 and 82 years with no major health problems were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and women in age groups of 68-72, 73-77, and 78-82 years, in 2 seasons, participating in the NuAge cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  serum 25(OH)D assessed by radioimmunoassay (RIA), weight, height, smoking status, disease status, education, perception of income, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire, and vitamin D supplement consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <37.5 nmol/L) was 12.6% and 5.7% for men in winter and summer, and 8.7% and 1.9% for women, respectively. Over 50% of the participants had 25(OH)D concentrations <75 nmol/L. Correlates of vitamin D status by multiple regression analysis indicated that the vitamin D level in summer was 13.8 nmol/L higher for participants measured in winter and 17.2 nmol/L higher for those using supplements. Age, sex, body mass index, and physical activity were not associated with 25(OH)D concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is low in healthy elderly men and women, especially in summer, but over 50% of the participants had suboptimal vitamin D concentrations. Vitamin D supplement consumption increased 25(OH)D concentrations substantially, particularly in the winter months, and should be encouraged.
authors.affiliation: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Roula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baraké
authors.forename: Hope
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Payette
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gray-Donald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D