[Vitamin D deficiency in a cohort over 65 years: prevalence and association with sociodemographic and health factors]

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is common in the elderly, especially among institutionalized and/or hip fracture patients. However, there are few population studies on the prevalence of this deficiency in the general population over 64 years in our environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in an urban population cohort of over 64 years, and analyze its relationship with sociodemographic, climatic, and health factors.

Material and methods: Cross-sectional study from «Peñagrande cohort», a population-based cohort consisting of people over 64 years. We determined 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, and recorded sociodemographic data (age, sex, marital status, education, socioeconomic status), season of measurement and health variables (comorbidity, obesity, malnutrition, renal failure, cognitive impairment, vitamin D supplements, and disability).

Results: A total of 468 individuals with a mean age of 76.0 years (SD: 7.7) were included, of which 53.4% were women. The mean value of vitamin D was 20.3 ± 11.7 ng/mL. The large majority (86.3%, 95% CI: 83.0-89.5) had a vitamin insufficiency (≤ 30 ng/ml), and 35.2% (95% CI: 30.8-39.7) showed severe vitamin deficiency (≤ 15 ng/ml). Vitamin insufficiency increases linearly with age (OR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.11), and was associated with low socioeconomic status (OR 3.29; 95% CI: 1.55-6.95). Severe vitamin D deficiency increases with age (OR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02-1.09), female gender (OR 1.80; 95% CI: 1.18-2.75) and with cognitive impairment (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.04-2.83).

Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in people over 65 years of age in our community is high. It would be advisable to determine the vitamin D values in the high risk elderly in order to introduce measures of pharmacological supplementation in those with inadequate levels.

Keywords: Anciano; Atención primaria; Deficiencia vitamina D; Elderly; Prevalence; Prevalencia; Primary care; Vitamin D deficiency.