It is well-established that vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is very common among northern populations. However, there is little information on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in southern climates with high sun exposure. A recent study shows that adult residents of southern Arizona are commonly deficient in vitamin D despite living in an area with chronic sun exposure.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition determined and analyzed blood vitamin D levels in a group of residents of southern Arizona (statistically representative of the larger population). Participants were categorized into 4 groups on the basis of serum vitamin D concentrations: The average vitamin D concentration for the total population was 26 ng/mL. Of 637 participants, 22.3% had vitamin D concentrations >30 ng/mL, 25.4% had concentrations Adult residents of southern Arizona are commonly deficient in vitamin D despite living in an area with chronic sun exposure. Adults with darker skin are particularly at risk for vitamin D insufficiency.
