Association between vitamin D intake and bone mineral density in Koreans aged ≥ 50 years: analysis of the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using a newly established vitamin D database

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal growth and maintenance and in the prevention of various diseases. We investigated the relationship between vitamin D intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean adults aged >= 50 years using the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study was conducted in 1,808 subjects aged >= 50 years with BMD data in Korea. Dietary vitamin D levels were assessed by the 24-hour recall method. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We investigated general characteristics and the association between these characteristics, vitamin D status, and BMD. RESULTS: Vitamin D intake was significantly lower in the osteoporosis group among women (P < 0.05). Among all subjects, the higher the serum 25(OH)D concentration, the higher the whole-body total BMD (WBT-BMD), femoral total hip BMD, and femoral neck BMD (P < 0.01). In the serum vitamin D-deficient group of both the total population and women, serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with WBT-BMD (P < 0.05). Among women with a calcium intake < 537.74 mg/day, BMD of those with a vitamin D intake > 2.51 mu g/day (average intake of women) was higher than that of women with a vitamin D intake <= 2.51 mu g/day (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Korean adults should increase their BMD by increasing serum 25(OH)D concentration. Furthermore, increasing vitamin D intake could improve BMD, especially in Korean women who consume less calcium than the estimated average requirement.