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Sex, Residence and Fish Intake Predict Vitamin D Status in Chinese Centenarians

The journal of nutrition, health & aging volume 23, pages 165–171 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Chinese centenarians and to identify the factors associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Design

Cross-sectional population-based study

Setting

Hainan province in the south of China.

Participants

943 subjects aged 100 years old and older.

Methods

Details on sociodemographics and lifestyle characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometrics and blood samples were obtained. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 20ng/mL (50nmol/L).

Results

The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among these 943 centenarians was 39.9% (376 subjects) and the mean serum vitamin D concentrations were 22.7±9.5 (ng/mL). Female centenarians had higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than male (44.0% vs. 21.7%, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that being female, urban residency, lower body mass index, higher serum parathyroid hormone levels, no fish consumption, and less sun exposure time were all significant and independent determinants of vitamin D deficiency. No significant associations of vitamin D deficiency with ethnic, education, geographic location, tea drinking, alcohol use, or smoking were found in this study.

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency was common in Chinese centenarians, especially in women. Given that vitamin D deficiency is linked to numerous adverse health outcomes, dietary, outdoor activities and other intervention measures are needed to correct vitamin D deficiency in this population.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Yao Yao and Shihui Fu are co-first authors.

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geriatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

    Yao Yao & Y. He

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Aging and Geriatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

    Yao Yao & Y. He

  3. Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

    Shihui Fu

  4. Department of Cardiology, Hainan Branch of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, China

    Shihui Fu

  5. Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

    N. Li & F. Hu

  6. Department of health policy and management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    H. Zhang

  7. Central Laboratory, Hainan Branch of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, China

    Q. Zhu, F. Luan, F. Zhang & Yali Zhao

  8. National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

    Yao Yao & Y. He

Authors
  1. Yao Yao
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  2. Shihui Fu
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  3. N. Li
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  4. F. Hu
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  5. H. Zhang
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  7. F. Luan
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  8. F. Zhang
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  9. Yali Zhao
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  10. Y. He
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yali Zhao.

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Yao, Y., Fu, S., Li, N. et al. Sex, Residence and Fish Intake Predict Vitamin D Status in Chinese Centenarians. J Nutr Health Aging 23, 165–171 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1126-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-018-1126-1

Key words

  • Vitamin D
  • prevalence
  • determinants
  • centenarians
  • China