Background:

although it is well established that body fat mass is inversely associated with vitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations, little is known whether obesity increases the risk of 25(OH)D insufficiency among older adults in Ecuador.

Methods:

the present study used data from the National Survey of Health, Wellbeing, and Aging to describe the prevalence of obesity and 25(OH)D insufficiency (< 20 ng/ml) among Ecuadorians aged 60 years and older. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent association between obesity and 25(OH)D insufficiency.

Results:

a total of 2,270 participants with a mean age of 71.5 (SD 8.1) years comprised the sample size, representing an estimated 1.1 million older adults in Ecuador. Overall, the crude prevalence of obesity was 19.2% and 25(OH)D insufficiency was present in 14.0% of men and 34.6% of women. Moreover, the proportion of women with 25(OH)D insufficiency remained steady across BMI categories. In contrast, 25(OH)D insufficiency prevalence rates in men increased progressively as body mass index (BMI) categories also increase. Moreover, obese older men (OR 2.04; 95% CI: 1.99-2.09) were two times more likely to have 25(OH)D insufficiency compared with those defined as having an ideal weight, even after adjustment for potential confounders. In women, this association was attenuated. However, 25(OH)D insufficiency prevalence rates remained 12% higher in obese women (OR 1.12; 95% CI: 1.11-1.14) than their normal weight counterparts.

Conclusion:

obesity is associated with increased risk of 25(OH)D insufficiency in Ecuador. Thus, obese older adults should be offered vitamin D supplementation and counseled regarding lifestyle modifications to improved their 25(OH)D status.

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