Hogrefe, International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 6(82), p. 412-416, 2012
DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831/a000139
Full text: Unavailable
Background: Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin under the action of solar ultraviolet-B radiation. The objective of this study was to determine whether a simple question exploring sun exposure (When weather is nice, do you stay more than 15 minutes exposed to the sun (face and hands uncovered) between 11am and 3pm?) could be associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status among 751 older community-dwelling women (mean age, 80.2 ± 3.5 years). Methods: Two groups were distinguished based on the binary Yes versus No answer. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 30 ng/mL. Results: Fewer women with hypovitaminosis D answered Yes to the question on sun exposure (p = 0.042). Answering Yes was inversely associated with hypovitaminosis D (OR = 0.56, p = 0.049) after adjustment for demographic characteristics and exogenous sources of vitamin D, with a positive predictive value of 88 %. Conclusion: This simple question may reflect the suns influence on vitamin D status and identify older community-dwellers with hypovitaminosis D.