Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency among Elderly Males Living in Rural Khon Kaen Province, Northeast Thailand
Soontrapa, S.; Soontrapa, S.; Chaikitpinyo, S.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 98(Suppl 8): S21-S25
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 26529810 Document Number: 16789
Vitamin D is essential for bone strength. In our previous study of urban, elderly, males, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 48%, and they had a lower level of bone turnover marker than normal, young adult, Thai males. To A) ascertain the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency, B) to determine the bone turnover marker level in rural elderly males, and C) to compare urban and rural males with these parameters. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among rural elderly males was 13.6%, while the level of bone turnover markers (P-CTx, and PINP) were in the normal Thai reference range. It was also found that rural elderly males had a significantly higher level of the calcidiol, iPTH, β-CTx, and PINP than their urban counterparts. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among rural elderly males was significantly lower than among urban males and rural males had a higher level of calcidiol, iPTH and bone turnover marker. The hypothesis was that differences in rural vs. urban lifestyle accounted for the discrepancy, possibly because elderly rural males performed strenuous outdoor labor while most urbanites stayed at home and/or had sedentary jobs.