van der Mei, IAF; Ponsonby, A-L; Engelsen, O; Pasco, JA; McGrath, JJ; Eyles, DW; Blizzard, L; Dwyer, T; Lucas, R; Jones, G
(US DEPT HEALTH HUMAN SCIENCES PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCE, 2007-08)
BACKGROUND: Inadequate sun exposure and dietary vitamin D intake can result in vitamin D insufficiency. However, limited data are available on actual vitamin D status and predictors in healthy individuals in different regions and by season. METHODS: We compared vitamin D status [25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25(OH)D] in people < 60 years of age using data from cross-sectional studies of three regions across Australia: southeast Queensland (27 degrees S; 167 females and 211 males), Geelong region (38 degrees S; 561 females), and Tasmania (43 degrees S; 432 females and 298 males). RESULTS: The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (