Influence of Risk Factors and Food Habits on Serum Levels of Vitamin D

Vitamin D (VD) plays an important role in the formation, development, maintenance and repair of bone tissue. Due to the physiological importance of VD, this study aimed to observe the rate of hypovitaminosis D (hD) in a population and the factors that may influence the incidence of hD. All participants of the groups were submitted to a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ) on the intake of dietary calcium, in order to assess the risk factors. The patients were submitted to laboratory examinations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D; those who presented serum VD levels below 30 ng/mL were allocated to the abnormal group (insufficient or deficient) and participants with levels equal to or above 30 ng/mL were allocated to the normal group (sufficient). Patients who were allocated to the abnormal group were submitted to VD supplementation. 35% of subjects in the study population presented hD. Regarding the food questionnaire, a lower amount of milk-derived intake, such as yogurt, and a lower frequency of physical activities presented a higher risk for hD development. One can conclude that less than half of the sample had hD and calcium-rich foods may contribute to normal serum levels of VD.