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Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide. This paper aims to investigate the vitamin D status and dietary intake in young university students. Design/methodology/approach: Forty-one healthy students aged 18–29 years from Coventry University UK were recruited during January-February 2019, including white Caucasians (n = 18), African-Caribbeans (n = 14) and Asians (n = 9). Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were measured and dietary vitamin D intake was determined. Chi-square and simple linear regression were used to analyse the data. Findings: The plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were (36.0 ± 22.2) nmol/L in all subjects, (46.5 ± 25.3) nmol/L in white Caucasians, (22.6 ± 7.4) nmol/L in African-Caribbeans and (37.4 ± 21.7 nmol/L) in Asians. The majority (85.7%) of African-Caribbeans were vitamin D deficient compared with 22.2% of white Caucasians and 33.3% of Asians (p = 0.001). Overweight/obese subjects showed a significant higher proportion of vitamin D deficiency (65%) than normal weight subjects (28.6%) (p = 0.04). The average dietary vitamin D intake in all subjects was (4.6 ± 3.9) µg/day. Only 12.1% of the subjects met the recommended dietary vitamin D intake of 10 µg/day. Dietary vitamin D intake (p = 0.04) and ethnicity (p = 0.01) were significant predictors of 25(OH)D levels and accounted for 13% and 18.5% of 25(OH)D variance, respectively. Research limitations/implications: This small-scale study showed an alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among subjects from African-Caribbean origin during wintertime. Education programs and campaigns are urgently needed to fight the vitamin D deficiency in this population. Originality/value: The targeted population were in a critical period of transition from adolescence toward adulthood involving in changes in behaviours and nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor vitamin D status is a risk factor for negative health and performance outcomes in athletes, but little is known about how athletes’ awareness and beliefs about vitamin D affect their consumption of vitamin D. This observational study investigated awareness of vitamin D for health and performance among collegiate athletes and evaluated the association of vitamin D awareness with its dietary intake. Fifty-two female and 29 male Division I collegiate athletes completed an online vitamin D awareness and dietary intake questionnaire between November 1, 2015, and January 30, 2016. Median intake of vitamin D was 330 International Units (IU), which is below the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 600 IU, but was greater in male athletes (693 IU) than female athletes (263 IU, p<0.01). The RDA for vitamin D was met by 62% of men and 30% of women. Athletes responded that vitamin D “probably” or “definitely” will play a role in their health (88.9%) and athletic performance (71.6%). However, only 23.4 and 28.4% of athletes reported concern for their vitamin D levels or believed that they were at risk for deficiency, respectively. Results showed small-to-moderate, positive correlations (r = 0.28–0.495, p < 0.05) between aspects of vitamin D awareness and vitamin D intake, particularly with supplemental forms of vitamin D. Given the lack of awareness concerning risk of vitamin D deficiency, and the links between aspects of vitamin D awareness and vitamin D intake, nutritional education programs designed to increase vitamin D awareness in athletes may be an effective strategy to reduce deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Exclusively breastfed infants are dependent upon their mothers for their vitamin D intake. In New Zealand (NZ), vitamin D supplementation is not routinely recommended for exclusively breastfed infants. We aimed to determine the association of exogenous maternal vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure with serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration in exclusively breastfed infants aged 2–3 months. Methods: We enrolled a convenience sample of women and their exclusively breastfed infants. Maternal dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake was determined from an interviewer‐administered semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Sunlight exposure was determined from reported time spent outdoors. Associations of vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure with infant serum 25(OH)D concentration at age 2–3 months were determined using multivariable linear regression. Results: Sixty‐three mother–infant pairs, 73% of whom were European, and their exclusively breastfed infants completed the study. Mean (SD) serum 25(OH)D concentration was 52 nmol/L (30), with 28% of infants being vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L). Estimated median maternal dietary vitamin D intake from food was 158 IU/day. Thirty (48%) mothers consumed vitamin D supplements. Non‐European ethnicity (P = 0.01) and measurement of 25(OH)D during winter (P < 0.001) were independently associated with infant serum 25(OH)D concentration. Maternal dietary vitamin D intake (P = 0.62), supplement use (P = 0.32) and sunlight exposure (P = 0.72) were not independently associated with infant serum 25(OH)D concentration. Conclusions: Serum 25(OH)D concentrations in exclusively breastfed infants in NZ are independent of current maternal vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure practices. Consideration needs to be given for vitamin D supplementation of exclusively breastfed infants during winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]