title: Variation in vitamin D supplementation among adults in a multi-race/ethnic health plan population, 2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D may have a role in many chronic conditions in addition to bone health. Nutritional surveys among Americans have reported high levels of vitamin D insufficiency, especially among Blacks and Latinos. Our study examined variation in vitamin D supplementation practices in an adult health plan population by age, gender, and race-ethnicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-report data from a 2008 general health survey in a large Northern California health plan were used to characterize number and types of sources of vitamin D supplementation (multivitamin, calcium with D, singular D) among women and men aged 25-85, overall, by race-ethnicity, and for obese, diabetic, and hypertensive subgroups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this population, 40% of women and 54% of men ≤ 50, and 24% of women and 53% of men aged 51-85 get no vitamin D from dietary supplements. Higher vitamin D supplementation among women > 50 is associated with higher reported intake of calcium with D. Black and Latina women aged 25-85 and Filipinas in the ≤ 50 age group were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to get vitamin D from supplements, whereas vitamin D supplementation practices among Chinese women did not significantly differ from non-Hispanic Whites. Among men, Latinos aged 25-85 and Black and Chinese ≤ 50 were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to get vitamin D from supplements. Similar race-ethnic differences in vitamin D supplementation patterns were observed for people in the obese, diabetic, and hypertensive groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our survey results suggest that in 2008, a large percentage of women and an even larger percentage of men in a large Northern California health plan get no vitamin D from dietary supplements, and that Blacks and Latinos and obese adults, who are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, are also the least likely to get any vitamin D from dietary supplements.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Division of Research in Oakland, Oakland, CA, USA. nancy.gordon@kp.org
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Bette J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Caan
authors.forename: Maryam M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Asgari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D