title: Vitamin D status is associated with sun exposure, vitamin D and calcium intake, acculturation and attitudes in immigrant East Asian women living in Sydney.
abstract: Known determinants of vitamin D status (measured in serum as 25(OH)Dnmol/L) are exposure to sunlight and intake of vitamin D, either from foods or vitamin supplements. Recently, low vitamin D status in East Asian Australian immigrants has been reported. Thus the aim of this study was to investigate associations with vitamin D status in East Asian Australian immigrant women. In this cross-sectional study of women (n=152 aged 18-92), 25(OH)D levels were measured from serum samples (radio-immuno assay). Demographics, sun exposure patterns, dietary intake and acculturation factors were obtained by questionnaire. In spring, 53% of the study population had serum 25(OH)D levels <50nmol/L (deficiency); whereas in summer only 19% were deficient. Associations with vitamin D deficiency were younger age, higher education, more sun protection behavior, fewer minutes of sun exposure on weekends, low vitamin D and calcium intake through foods or supplements and less acculturation to Australian lifestyle. After multivariate adjustment, those who had no intake of vitamin D supplements (OR=5.6, CI=1.4-22), less sunlight exposure on weekends (OR=2.7, CI=1.0-7.3) and lower acculturation to Australian lifestyle (OR=2.5, CI=1.0-6.3) had increased risk of being deficient in vitamin D. Thus there is a need for vitamin D education in this "at-risk" population. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Vitamin D Workshop'.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. kaye.brock@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Kaye E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Lindy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clemson
authors.forename: Fung K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Haeyoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Markus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Seibel
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mpofu
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Rebecca S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005202:Asia, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000208:ethnology; D013472:Sunlight; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D