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Vitamin D intake and status in Irish elderly women and adolescent girls

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Abstract

Aim

To assess vitamin D status during summer and winter in Irish girls and elderly women, and to estimate vitamin D intake in these two age-groups.

Methods

Ambulatory free-living, elderly Irish women (aged 70–76 years; n = 43) and girls (aged 11–13 years; n = 17) were recruited. Fasting serums were collected during August/ September 2002 and February/March 2003 and analysed for 25 (OH) D by HPLC.

Results

Mean daily intakes of vitamin D were 4.6 μg and 2.1 μg in elderly women and girls, respectively. Serum 25 (OH) D was significantly lower (P<0.001) during winter than summer in both age-groups. Eight (20%) and one (during late summer) and sixteen (37.2%) and eight (47%) (during late winter) of the elderly women and girls, respectively, had inadequate vitamin D status (serum 25 (OH) D <40 nmol/l).

Conclusion

Inadequate vitamin D status during winter time is quite common in elderly women and adolescent girls in Ireland.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College, Cork, Ireland

    D. McCarthy, A. Collins, M. O’Brien, M. Kiely, A. Flynn & K. D. Cashman

  2. Dept of Medicine, University College, Cork, Ireland

    K. D. Cashman

  3. Calcium Research Unit, Division of Nutrition, Dept of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Finland

    C. Lamberg-Allardt

  4. Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Denmark

    J. Jakobsen

  5. National Food and Nutrition Institute, Warsaw, Poland

    J. Charzewska

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  1. D. McCarthy
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  2. A. Collins
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  3. M. O’Brien
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  4. C. Lamberg-Allardt
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  7. M. Kiely
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  9. K. D. Cashman
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Correspondence to K. D. Cashman.

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McCarthy, D., Collins, A., O’Brien, M. et al. Vitamin D intake and status in Irish elderly women and adolescent girls. Ir J Med Sci 175, 14–20 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03167942

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