title: Vitamin D levels and relative insufficiency in Saskatchewan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent of vitamin D3 deficiency and levels in pregnant First Nations and non-First Nations women in SK. Also, to determine the distribution of vitamin D3 values in the general population in SK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vitamin D3 levels were measured by LC-MS/MS from 19,181 consecutive patient blood/serum samples received at the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory, and from 743 First Nations, and 301 non-First Nations pregnant women in SK.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ages of the 19,181 patient samples ranged from day 1 (0 years) to 102 years. Of the total, 14,658 were female, and 4523 were males. 30.8% had relative vitamin D3 insufficiency (50-75 nmol/L), and 22.5% were in the deficient range (<50 nmol/L). In summer, a larger percentage of SK patients are in the optimum range, whereas in winter, the number of patients in the vitamin D3 deficiency range increased to 33.0% from 14.1%. Samples from pregnant women were collected during the first trimester of pregnancy. Whereas non-First Nations pregnant women had similar vitamin D3 levels to non-pregnant women in SK, vitamin D3 levels were significantly lower than the optimum of 75 nmol/L in pregnant First Nations women than in non-First Nations women. 29.7% of First Nations pregnant women were in the relative insufficiency range, and 45.6% were vitamin D3 deficient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  First Nations pregnant women have lower vitamin D3 levels than non-First Nations pregnant women. This puts them and their unborn babies at high risk of a diverse range of disorders associated with vitamin D3 deficiency or insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: University of Saskatchewan, Dept. of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory, Regina, SK, Canada. Electronic address: dlehotay@health.gov.sk.ca.
authors.forename: Denis C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lehotay
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krahn
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etter
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eichhorst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012525:Saskatchewan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D002762:Cholecalciferol
keywords: Deficiency; First Nations; Population; Pregnant women; Vitamin D