A Comparison Study of Vitamin D Deficiency among Older Adults in China and the United States

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 19713 - 11
• Main Authors: Wei, Jia, Zhu, Anna, Ji, John S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23.12.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; 692/308/174; 692/700/2814; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Body weight; China - epidemiology; Female; Geriatrics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Linear Models; Longevity; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Minority & ethnic groups; multidisciplinary; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrition Surveys; Older people; Overweight; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Statistical analysis; United States - epidemiology; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin deficiency; United States; China; United States > US
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56297-y

Vitamin D deficiency is a common health concern worldwide. We aim to compare the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among older adults (65+) in China and the United States (US). We used data from the 2011 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in China (n = 2180), and 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the US (n = 2283). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured and a level of under 30/50 nmol/L was defined as vitamin D severe deficiency/deficiency. Risk factors of vitamin D deficiency were examined by multivariate regression models. We found that the mean 25(OH)D concentration was lower in China than in the US (45.1 vs. 83.5 nmol/L), with Chinese elderly lower than American elderly for every age group. 70.3% in China and 17.4% in the US were considered as vitamin D deficiency (30.6% and 3.4% were considered as severe deficiency). Older age, females, ethnic minorities, higher household income, self-rated “very bad” health, and never drinkers, were statistically significant in predicting lower serum 25(OH)D levels in China. In the US, males, ethnic minorities, lower income, self-rated “very bad” health, physically inactive, overweight, and obese were related to lower serum 25(OH)D levels. Our findings suggest that different interventional strategies are needed to improve vitamin D deficiency and its associated negative health outcomes in China and the US.