title: Vitamin D status in eastern South Dakota.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the general U.S. population. To date, although there are a number of case reports, no studies of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the general population of the upper Midwest have been reported. The present study was undertaken to define the vitamin D status in three groups: healthy working adults, pregnant women and nursing home residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective evaluation of serum vitamin D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five percent of healthy working adults, 63 percent of nursing home residents and 83 percent of maternity patients had serum calcidiol levels below 32 ng/mL. Mean levels were 26.4 ng/mL, 28.8 ng/mL, and 20.7 ng/mL, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypovitaminosis D is highly endemic in this region's population; routine supplementation and/or empiric replacement therapy should be considered, especially as a part of routine prenatal care.
authors.affiliation: Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency Program, USA.
authors.forename: Elinor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bunde
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanssen
authors.forename: Mark K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Huntington
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013023:South Dakota / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D