Vitamin D Insufficiency and Factors Associated: a Study with Older Adults People from Primary Health Care Network

This article aims to analyze vitamin D insufficiency and factors associated among older adults using primary health care services. This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated 533 older adults individuals (≥ 60 years old) in three cities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was evaluated by chemiluminescence. The factors evaluated were sociodemographic information (sex, age group, ethnicity, education, income, marital status), health conditions (reported diseases), body composition (BMI, waist circumference), lifestyle (physical activity and smoking), and sun exposure (purpose, duration, frequency, time of exposure, exposed body parts, use of sunscreen, skin type). The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 64.5%, presenting association with female participants, non-white/unreported ethnicity, low weight, high waist circumference (risk for CVD - cardiovascular disease), and physical inactivity. Negative association was observed with habitual sun exposure of hands, arms and legs, during leisure activities, daily commuting and physical activity, and between 9 am and 3 pm. The findings show the relevance of factors such as sex, ethnicity, body composition, physical activity, and sun exposure habits in the high prevalence of inadequate levels of vitamin D among older adults.