Vitamin D deficiency found in the diet of the elderly in South Carolina.

Dietary intake of vitamin D was assessed from a 24-hour food recall collected from 293 independent living adults 55 years of age or older who participated in the South Carolina Nutrition Survey. Mean vitamin D intake was only 46 percent of the RDA. The data in this study indicated that insufficient dietary intake of vitamin D is prevalent among older South Carolinians. Possible methods to correct this include: increased exposure to the sun, increased intake of food sources containing this nutrient or prescribing a vitamin D supplement.