Aboriginal Australians are more likely to have low vitamin D levels than non-Indigenous Australians, according to a study published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.
Dr Simon Vanlint, Lecturer in the Discipline of General Practice at the University of Adelaide, and co-authors, investigated the vitamin D status of a population of Aboriginal Australians in South Australia, and examined the relationship between serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels and biochemical variables of calcium and bone mineral homeostasis, as well as other factors that may influence vitamin D synthesis, storage and metabolism.
Vitamin D is hydroxylated to form 25-OHD, the biomarker of vitamin D status. A single-visit, observational study of 58 adults from two Indigenous community-controlled health services in Adelaide and Yalata, South Australia, was conducted between May 2008 and December 2009.
Vitamin D insufficiency was found to be highly prevalent among the participants. The serum 25-OHD levels of the participants also showed seasonal variations, peaking in summer (84.2 nmol/L) but dropping below 60 nmol/L in other seasons, indicating prolonged periods of vitamin D insufficiency. Target serum 25-OHD levels above 60 nmol/L have been recommended for prevention of fractures and falls.
Overall, the average serum 25-OHD level of the participants (56.8 nmol/L) was significantly lower than that reported for a control group of 36 Adelaide residents (76.9 nmol/L).
Dr Vanlint said that darker skin pigmentation in Aboriginal Australians probably contributed to their lower mean 25-OHD level compared with that of non-Indigenous Australians.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
Source: Medical Journal of Australia