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. 2023 Dec 20;42(1):145.
doi: 10.1186/s41043-023-00488-x.

Geographic location and ethnicity comprehensively influenced vitamin D status in college students: a cross-section study from China

Yingyi Luo  1 , Chunbo Qu  2 , Rui Zhang  2 , Jingyi Zhang  2 , Dan Han  1 , Lixin Na  3
Affiliations

Geographic location and ethnicity comprehensively influenced vitamin D status in college students: a cross-section study from China

Yingyi Luo et al. J Health Popul Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in the health of adolescents, whereas vitamin D status of Chinese college students was seldom studied in China. To explore the vitamin D status and its relationship with ethnicity and geographic location in Chinese college students.

Methods: The freshmen were taken a physical examination by trained medical personnel after they reported to university. Demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, region of original residence was collected using a questionnaire survey. Serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations were measured using a liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer. Multiple regression analyses were used to explore the factors that influence serum 25(OH)D3 levels.

Results: Totally 3220 freshmen who came from 26 provinces, autonomous districts or municipalities were recruited, with a mean age of 18.75 ± 1.18 years and 70.2% of them were female. The mean serum 25(OH)D3 levels were 18.51 ± 6.54 ng/mL, and the proportion of vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and insufficiency (20 ~ < 30 ng/mL) was 64.4% and 30.2%, respectively. The combined proportion of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was increased with the latitude increased. Miao had the highest serum 25(OH)D3 levels, whereas Kazak ethnic had the lowest (22.51 ng/mL vs. 13.94 ng/mL) among different ethnic groups. Female students, students from city, Uighur and Kazak ethnic, residing in high latitude was significantly associated with lower serum 25(OH)D3 levels (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is an important health problem in Chinese college students. Sunlight activities, dietary and life-style intervention for college students according to geographic location and ethnicities should be considered.

Keywords: College students; Ethnicity; Latitude; Serum 25(OH)D3; Vitamin D deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart for participants enrollment
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Map of China with Serum 25(OH)D3 means in ng/mL for participants from different Province (n = 3220)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Proportion of Serum 25(OH)D3 categories by administrative areas in Chinese college students (n = 3220)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Proportion of Serum 25(OH)D3 categories by latitudes in Chinese college students (n = 3220)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Mean levels of serum 25(OH)D3 for different ethnic of the participants (n = 3220)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Mean levels of serum 25(OH)D3 for Kazak in Xinjiang, Uygur in Xinjiang, Han in Xinjiang and Han in Shanghai
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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