OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to investigate the vitamin D status and to determine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and consumption frequencies of vitamin D rich foods in Korean adults and older adults. METHODS Subjects were 10,374 adults and 2,792 older adults participating in the 2008-2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Consumption frequencies of vitamin D rich foods were estimated by using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Eleven food items such as beef, egg, mackerel, tuna, yellow corvina, pollack, anchovy, mushroom, milk, yogurt, and ice cream were selected as vitamin D rich foods based on previous research. RESULTS The proportions of deficiency (< 12 ng/mL), inadequacy (12-20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (> or = 20 ng/mL) of serum 25(OH)D concentrations from June to November and December to May in adults were 8.8%, 42.3%, 48.8%, and 28.2%, 52.8%, 19.1%, respectively. The proportions of deficiency, inadequacy and sufficiency of serum 25 (OH)D concentrations from June to November and December to May in older adults were 10.1%, 32.4%, 57.5%, and 24.1%, 45.4%, 30.5%, respectively. The mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations in adults were positively related to the consumption frequencies of mackerel, anchovy, all fish, milk and milk.dairy products. The mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations in older adults were positively related to the consumption frequencies of yellow corvina and negatively related to the consumption frequencies of ice cream. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that Korean adults were more deficient in serum 25(OH)D concentrations than older adults. The consumption of vitamin D rich foods may affect vitamin D status in Korean adults. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.
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This study was performed to estimate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and to evaluate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and associated factors. The subjects were 61 premenopausal working women aged 30 - 49 y in Busan. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was measured by radioimmunoassay. Data for physiological characteristics, lifestyle factors, physical activity and nutrient intake were assessed by questionnaire including information about outdoor activity time, daily activity diary and 24 hr recall method. The mean vitamin D intake was 3.12 ug, which corresponded to 62.5% of the Korean RDA. The mean level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 31.0 ng/mL. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (<25 nmol/L) was not found in the subjects. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level showed positive significant correlations with exercise hours, daily energy expenditure, hours of outdoor activity per weekdays (p< 0.001, p< 0.05, p< 0.05). Exercise hours were found to be the most important determinant of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. Therefore nutritional education for increasing hours of physical activity including indoor and outdoor exercise, is needed for premenopausal working women to increase vitamin D status.