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Canadian Health Measures Survey: Vitamin D blood plasma concentrations in the population

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2007/2008 (preliminary)

This release presents preliminary data on blood plasma levels of vitamin D from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), the most comprehensive direct health measures survey undertaken on a national scale in Canada.

Results show the mean concentration of Vitamin D in blood plasma for the Canadian population aged 6 to 79 was 66.9 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) in 2007/2008. Children aged 6 to 11 had the highest concentration (76.0 nmol/L) followed by older Canadians aged 60 to 79 (73.5 nmol/L).

The national estimates reflect measures from one-half of the CHMS sample (slightly more than 2,600 Canadians aged 6 to 79) that is representative of the national population.

Data were collected across Canada during a one-year period from March 2007 to February 2008, covering all seasons. These are the first national data on the vitamin D status of Canadians available in over 35 years.

Vitamin D is a nutrient that helps the body use calcium and phosphorus to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. The CHMS measures vitamin D levels as part of the assessment of chronic disease risk factors and nutritional status.

The CHMS preliminary national estimates of vitamin D in plasma concentrations, by age and sex, are being released today to provide baseline estimates to researchers and other organizations interested in nutrition.

Normal population reference ranges for plasma vitamin D, and possible health effects, are not well-defined in Canada or the United States. A comprehensive review jointly funded by the American and Canadian governments is currently underway to review the 1997 Dietary Reference Intakes values for vitamin D.

Note: The CHMS measures plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, a circulating metabolite that reflects different forms of vitamin D in our bodies that we get through dietary sources or through skin exposure to sunlight. The release of full CHMS data will begin in January 2010 with information related to this topic such as outdoor activity, sunscreen use, and food consumption of fish and milk. Additional information on nutrition and supplement intake is available from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2004) and comparative American data are available from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) is a concentration measure that reflects the number of vitamin D molecules per litre of blood. Because molecules are small, we would have to add multiple zeros to each nmol measure to actually show the concentration of vitamin D molecules per litre of blood.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5071.

For more information about this preliminary CHMS data release on vitamin D status in the Canadian population, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Renée Langlois (613-951-0878; renee.langlois@statcan.gc.ca), Statistics Canada, or Media Relations (613-957-2983), Health Canada.

For additional information about vitamin D, see Vitamin D: Recommendations and Review Status on the Health Canada website (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php).

Table 1
Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 

Table 1

Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 
Age Number Mean 5th percentile
    Estimate Low High Estimate Low High
      95% confidence interval   95% confidence interval
Both sexes              
6 to 11 435 76.0 67.4 84.6 38.5E 17.0 60.0
12 to 19 428 64.0 58.9 69.1 26.5 21.6 31.4
20 to 39 611 63.5 60.5 66.5 29.4 26.3 32.4
40 to 59 683 66.1 61.1 71.1 28.8 23.0 34.5
60 to 79 516 73.5 70.8 76.3 33.9 25.8 42.0
Total 6 to 79 2,673 66.9 63.2 70.7 29.5 24.8 34.2
Males              
6 to 11 223 77.2 72.8 81.6 42.2 35.0 49.4
12 to 19 225 64.6 58.7 70.5 25.8 20.6 30.9
20 to 39 260 59.8 56.6 62.9 27.3 24.9 29.6
40 to 59 310 65.5 59.2 71.8 27.8 22.4 33.1
60 to 79 259 72.4 68.2 76.6 33.0 28.4 37.6
Total 6 to 79 1,277 65.7 61.8 69.7 28.9 26.6 31.2
Females              
6 to 11 212 74.9 60.2 89.6 F F F
12 to 19 203 63.4 56.7 70.2 26.5E 16.9 36.1
20 to 39 351 66.6 63.4 69.8 32.0 24.2 39.8
40 to 59 373 66.6 62.6 70.6 30.8 25.1 36.4
60 to 79 257 74.9 72.2 77.5 36.8E 24.6 48.9
Total 6 to 79 1,396 68.0 64.4 71.6 30.8 23.6 37.9
E
use with caution
F
too unreliable to be published
Table 2
Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 

Table 2

Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 
Age Number 10th percentile 25th percentile
    Estimate Low High Estimate Low High
      95% confidence interval   95% confidence interval
Both sexes              
6 to 11 435 45.5 32.2 58.8 61.8 51.1 72.5
12 to 19 428 32.0 25.3 38.7 43.4 39.7 47.0
20 to 39 611 35.2 32.0 38.5 45.1 41.5 48.7
40 to 59 683 36.3 31.1 41.5 47.7 43.7 51.6
60 to 79 516 42.6 37.8 47.3 55.3 53.1 57.5
Total 6 to 79 2,673 36.6 32.5 40.8 48.0 43.9 52.1
Males              
6 to 11 223 53.0 42.5 63.5 65.1 58.7 71.4
12 to 19 225 32.8 26.7 38.8 43.3 37.3 49.2
20 to 39 260 32.8 31.1 34.5 42.6 40.4 44.7
40 to 59 310 36.3 29.9 42.6 47.8 43.1 52.6
60 to 79 259 41.3 35.0 47.5 55.1 51.7 58.6
Total 6 to 79 1,277 35.8 32.9 38.7 47.3 43.5 51.2
Females              
6 to 11 212 41.8E 17.1 66.5 58.4 41.1 75.7
12 to 19 203 30.8 21.3 40.4 43.4 35.7 51.1
20 to 39 351 36.7 31.2 42.2 47.5 42.2 52.8
40 to 59 373 36.5 31.7 41.3 47.3 43.1 51.4
60 to 79 257 45.0 39.3 50.7 57.0 52.0 62.0
Total 6 to 79 1,396 37.5 32.3 42.7 49.4 45.2 53.7
E
use with caution
Table 3
Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 

Table 3

Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 
Age Number 50th percentile 75th percentile
    Estimate Low High Estimate Low High
      95% confidence interval   95% confidence interval
Both sexes              
6 to 11 435 76.0 70.6 81.5 88.1 82.2 94.0
12 to 19 428 60.4 56.3 64.5 78.9 71.3 86.5
20 to 39 611 61.0 56.0 65.9 78.8 75.0 82.5
40 to 59 683 66.1 59.7 72.5 80.7 73.8 87.7
60 to 79 516 74.0 70.5 77.4 90.9 88.7 93.1
Total 6 to 79 2,673 66.3 61.9 70.6 82.8 79.8 85.8
Males              
6 to 11 223 76.8 74.2 79.3 88.1 82.2 94.0
12 to 19 225 63.5 57.2 69.8 80.0 71.1 89.0
20 to 39 260 56.6 52.8 60.4 73.0 69.2 76.8
40 to 59 310 64.9 58.2 71.6 81.1 70.7 91.5
60 to 79 259 71.8 65.5 78.0 90.3 84.9 95.7
Total 6 to 79 1,277 65.1 59.8 70.4 81.9 77.9 86.0
Females              
6 to 11 212 72.4 62.0 82.7 88.6 77.2 100.1
12 to 19 203 58.6 53.8 63.3 76.8 67.4 86.3
20 to 39 351 64.3 58.8 69.7 82.6 80.1 85.0
40 to 59 373 67.2 60.4 74.0 80.7 76.6 84.9
60 to 79 257 75.0 72.5 77.5 91.7 89.0 94.3
Total 6 to 79 1,396 67.0 63.1 70.8 83.5 81.3 85.8
Table 4
Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 

Table 4

Vitamin D (nmol/L): Plasma concentration, by age and sex, household population, Canada, 2007/2008 
Age Number 90th percentile 95th percentile
    Estimate Low High Estimate Low High
      95% confidence interval   95% confidence interval
Both sexes              
6 to 11 435 107.8 97.4 118.2 121.0 109.5 132.5
12 to 19 428 98.3 88.6 108.0 107.7 97.8 117.6
20 to 39 611 93.8 88.3 99.3 108.3 97.2 119.3
40 to 59 683 96.8 90.8 102.7 110.9 100.6 121.2
60 to 79 516 103.0 100.1 105.9 112.3 106.7 118.0
Total 6 to 79 2,673 98.6 93.9 103.3 111.5 106.4 116.7
Males              
6 to 11 223 99.8 90.8 108.8 112.2 103.5 120.8
12 to 19 225 99.3 87.4 111.3 108.5 98.3 118.7
20 to 39 260 90.5 84.4 96.6 95.5 80.2 110.8
40 to 59 310 95.8 88.1 103.4 105.2 84.7 125.7
60 to 79 259 101.7 97.4 106.1 110.7 100.2 121.1
Total 6 to 79 1,277 95.5 89.7 101.3 106.1 96.8 115.4
Females              
6 to 11 212 114.2 97.4 131.1 123.8 107.3 140.3
12 to 19 203 97.1 87.2 106.9 107.5 88.2 126.9
20 to 39 351 100.8 94.4 107.1 118.2 104.9 131.4
40 to 59 373 98.0 94.4 101.7 111.9 106.1 117.7
60 to 79 257 108.0 103.5 112.4 112.4 109.6 115.2
Total 6 to 79 1,396 101.3 97.4 105.3 113.6 108.3 118.8
Date Modified: 2011-07-05

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