Associations Between Vitamin D Deficiency/Insufficiency and Depression Expose Health Disparities in Older Rural West Texans: A Project FRONTIER Study.

• What is the primary question addressed in this study? Using the 30-question Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), we tested the hypothesis that Vitamin D (VD) status was associated with self-reported depressive symptoms in a multiethnic aging sample in rural West Texas. • What is the main finding of this study? A significant negative association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D levels and depressive symptoms was revealed, spanning both Dysphoria and Meaninglessness GDS subfactors. Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (HLE) populations were overrepresented in VD deficiency (VDD) and VD insufficiency (VDI) categories, and less likely to use VD supplements compared to non-HLE populations. • What is the meaning of the finding? Based on widespread VDD/VDI in our HLE sample, use of VD supplementation at high sufficient doses is predicted to reduce depressive symptoms. A subset of GDS Dysphoria questions were highly sensitive to VD status, providing important knowledge for VD screening in the clinic. To determine associations between Vitamin D (VD) levels and clinical depression through the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and its questions and subdomains, stratified by demographics and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (HLE). A cohort of 299 Project FRONTIER participants aged 62.6 ± 11.7 years old, 70.9% female, and 40.5% HLE were used. Standard correlation and regression analyses were employed. The main outcome measures were VD (serum 25(OH)-VD) level, GDS-30 (30-item questionnaire), GDS-30 subfactors and questions, and HLE status. VD categories were defined as VD deficiency (VDD; ≤20 ng/mL), VD insufficiency (VDI; 21–29 ng/mL), VD sufficiency (30–38 ng/mL) and high VD sufficiency (>38 ng/mL). The majority (61.5%) of samples fell into VDD/VDI categories. A significant negative association was found between VD level and GDS-30 total score. VD level was negatively correlated with Dysphoria and Meaninglessness GDS-30 subfactors. Although GDS subfactors were similar between HLE and non-HLE groups, VD levels were significantly lower in HLE samples. Finally, HLE/non-HLE groups were differentially stratified across VD categories. Only 4% of HLEs fell into the high VD sufficient category, suggesting low VD supplementation. A significant negative association between VD level and depressive symptoms was revealed in our aging Project FRONTIER participants. HLE individuals were overrepresented in VDD/VDI samples, and VDD/VDI was associated primarily with the Dysphoria GDS subdomain. Regression analysis predicted high VD sufficiency (95.5 ng/mL) to be associated with no depressive symptoms (GDS=0). Our results underscore troubling disparities in VD-related depressive symptoms between HLE and non-HLE populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]