Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in postmenopausal women: a systematic review

Hypovitaminosis D is considered a global public health issue. Knowledge of its true dimensions will allow us to design interventions and plan preventive measures that can have a significant impact on human health.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 30 ng/ml, in postmenopausal women around the world, as well as to identify the potential associated factors.

A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses recommendations. Specific search terms were consulted in Medline, Excerpta Medica, and Latin-American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases, with no restriction for the year or language of publication.

Of 451 studies initially identified, 32 were selected for analysis. Collectively, those 32 studies evaluated 21,236 postmenopausal women, of whom 16,440 (77.4%) had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations < 30 ng/ml. The reported prevalence of hypovitaminosis D ranged from 29% (in the United States) to 99.4% (in China). In six of the studies, the prevalence was above 90%.

If the criterion is the 30 ng/ml cut-off point, the majority of postmenopausal women in the world could be classified as having hypovitaminosis D. Among the studies evaluated, the lowest prevalence reported was nearly 30%. Neither latitude, region of the world, nor laboratory methodology were found to be associated with the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D.