Vitamin D intakes of adults differ by income, gender and race/ethnicity in the U.S.A., 2007 to 2010.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if dietary, supplemental and total vitamin D intakes in the USA are influenced by income, race/ethnicity or gender.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional. US vitamin D intakes were estimated by poverty income ratio (PIR), race/ethnicity and gender using 24 h dietary intake recalls and dietary supplement use questionnaires. Statistical analyses of weighted data were performed using SAS (version 9.2) to estimate means and their standard errors. Race and ethnic intake differences controlling for PIR, gender and age were assessed by ANCOVA.

SUBJECTS

Adults aged ≥19 years.

SETTING

The 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, USA.

RESULTS

Total (dietary and supplement) vitamin D intake was greater in the high (10.0 (se 0.30) μg/d) v. the medium (7.9 (se 0.3) μg/d) or the low (8.0 (se 0.3) μg/d) PIR categories. Total vitamin D intake of non-Hispanic Whites (10.6 (se 0.4) μg/d) was greater than that of Hispanics (8.1 (se 0.3) μg/d) and non-Hispanic Blacks (7.1 (se 0.3) μg/d). Supplemental vitamin D intake was greater by females (5.3 (se 0.2) μg/d) than by males (3.3 (se 0.2) μg/d). Participants with high income were more likely to be vitamin D supplement users (33.0%) than those with medium (22.5%) or low (17.6%) income. High-income non-Hispanic Whites had the lowest percentage (57%) not meeting the Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin D. Fortified milk and milk products provided 43.7% of the dietary vitamin D intake.

CONCLUSIONS

Public health efforts should expand the number of vitamin D-fortified foods and encourage the consumption of foods high in vitamin D and use of supplements.