Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels among Boston trainee doctors in winter.
As indoor workers, trainee doctors may be at risk for inadequate vitamin D. All trainee doctors (residents) in a Boston pediatric training program (residency) were invited to complete a survey, and undergo testing for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], PTH, and calcium during a 3-week period in March 2010. We examined the association between resident characteristics and serum 25(OH)D using Chi2 and Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariable linear and logistic regression. Of the 119 residents, 102 (86%) participated. Although the mean serum 25(OH)D level was 67 nmol/L (±26), 25 (25%) had a level <50 nmol/L and 3 (3%) residents had levels <25 nmol/L. In the multivariable model, factors associated with 25(OH)D levels were: female sex (β 12.7, 95% CI 3.6, 21.7), white race (β 21.7, 95% CI 11.7, 31.7), travel to more equatorial latitudes during the past 3 months (β 6.3, 95% CI 2.0, 10.5) and higher daily intake of vitamin D (β 1.1, 95% CI 0.04, 2.1). Although one in four residents in our study had a serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L, all of them would have been missed using current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) screening guidelines. The use of traditional risk factors appears insufficient to identify low vitamin D in indoor workers at northern latitudes.
Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood AvCe, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Amanda.Growdon@childrens.harvard.edu
Amanda S
AS
Growdon
Carlos A
CA
Camargo
Sunday
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Clark
Megan
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Hannon
Jonathan M
JM
Mansbach
D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017132:Workplace
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D002118:Calcium