Okuyama K, Kido T, Miyakoshi N, Shimada YY and Tajimi K
Background: Vitamin D has a key role to prevent falls in the elderly. Does it play the same function in the nonelderly (18-64 yrs)?
Objective and methods: A cross-sectional survey was addressed to investigate associations between falls, their related physical performance, and 25[OH]D3 status in 256 non-elderly adults regularly work indoors at latitude 40° north region.
Results: The mean value of the serum 25[OH]D3 was 15.6 ± 7.0 ng/ml. We divided the serum 25[OH]D3 levels into 3 groups. The deficient, inadequate, and adequate group was as a level of <12.0 ng/ml, 12.0 ng/ml to <20 ng/ml and ≥ 20 ng/ml. Percentage of each group was 35%, 38%, and 27%. Falls prevalence of the past 12 months was 8.9%, 5.1%, and 11.8%. Among the 3 groups, no significant differences were found in falls incidence, their related physical performance, spinal alignment, bone, muscle status, and laboratory findings. The mean age of the 3 groups was 37.2 ± 12.5, 39.7 ± 13.2, 42.0 ± 13.4 years. It was significantly older in the adequate group (p<0.01).
Conclusions: No associations found among the prevalence of falls, their related physical performance, spinal alignment, bone, muscle status, laboratory data, and the 25[OH]D3 levels. Therefore, for Vitamin D deficiency, assessment of Vitamin D status in the non-elderly (18-64 yrs) workers may be less valuable as far as falls were concerned. But 73% of the 256 non-elderly adults working indoors did not have adequate serum 25[OH] D3. A further longitudinal study is mandatory.
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