title: Adiposity measures and vitamin D concentrations in Northeast Germany and Denmark.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) and serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OHD) concentrations are inversely related. As BMI contains only limited information regarding body fat distribution, we aimed to analyze the cross-sectional associations of abdominal visceral or subcutaneous adipose tissue, next to common adiposity measures, with the 25OHD concentration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from three cohorts of two large epidemiological studies in the northeast of Germany (Study of Health in Pomerania, SHIP-1 and SHIP-Trend), and in Denmark (Health2006). The study populations included adult men and women from the general population (N = 3072 SHIP-1, N = 803 SHIP-Trend, N = 3195 Health2006). Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue were quantified by magnetic resonance imagining (SHIP-Trend) or ultrasound (Health2006). Common adiposity measures, including BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, body surface area, and body fat percentage were determined by standardized methods in SHIP-1 and Health2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average study participant was overweight (median BMI 27.4, 26.6, and 25.2 kg/m(2) in SHIP-1, SHIP-Trend, and Health2006, respectively). Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue as well as the common adiposity measures were inversely associated with serum 25OHD concentrations in linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, alcohol consumption, physical activity, smoking status, and month of blood sampling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Next to common adiposity measures, also abdominal visceral or subcutaneous adipose tissue are inversely associated with serum 25OHD concentrations in the general adult population.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hannemann
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark.
authors.forename: B Heinsbaek
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Thuesen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steveling
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ittermann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hegenscheid
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nauck
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Experimental Research, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark.|Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linneberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wallaschofski
keywords: Abdominal adipose tissue; Body fat; Body mass index; Obesity; Population-based; Vitamin D