title: Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in women aged 20-50 years consulting in general practice: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D deficiency is often unidentified, although treatment is simple and inexpensive. Our objective was to estimate the influence of concealing clothes and other risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in women aged 20 to 50 years consulting general practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  13 GPs in the Rhone Alps area planned to recruit 300 women (100 veiled and 200 non-veiled) from January to March 2008. Serum 25(OH)D and PTH were measured in one single laboratory (Biomnis(®)) by a radio-immunoassay method. A survey was administered about dietary habits, sun exposure, and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 247 women enrolled, 196 were analysed: 61 wearing concealing clothes (31.2%) and 135 without (68.8%). As expected, 25(OH)D serum level was significantly lower in covered women (20.1 versus 38.9 nmol/l P < 0.001). Of women who did not wear concealing clothing, 39.3% had severe hypovitaminosis D (25(OH)D concentration < 30 nmol/l). Women wearing concealing clothes had more often other known risk factors such as dark skin (P < 0.001), less sunlight exposure, or a higher Body Mass Index (P = 0.009). Besides concealing clothing (OR 6.37, 95% CI: 1.35-30.09), multivariate analyses revealed two independent risk factors for vitamin D deficiency: no full-body sun exposure (OR: 3.06, 95% CI: 1.18-7.94) and no outdoor sports (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.11-7.12) for threshold 52 nmol/l.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young women consulting their GP had hypovitaminosis D more often than expected. Besides concealing clothing, absence of full body sun exposure during summer and of outdoor sports practice could suggest a possible vitamin D deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, France. mf.legoaziou@medsyn.fr
authors.forename: Marie France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Le Goaziou
authors.forename: Gaelle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contardo
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dupraz
authors.forename: Ambroise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laville
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schott-Pethelaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D003020:Clothing; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013472:Sunlight; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002112:Calcifediol