Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Vitamin D serum concentration is prospectively associated with depressive symptoms in the EpiFloripa Aging Cohort
Gilciane Ceolin1, Júlia Dubois Moreira2, Anna Quialheiro3
1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. Grupo de Pesquisa em Neurociência Nutricional Translacional, UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Objective:
To evaluate the direct, indirect, and total prospective effects of serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25[OH]D) on depressive symptoms in older adults.
Methods:
Data from the second (2013-2015) and third (2017-2019) waves of the EpiFloripa Aging Cohort Study (= 60 years) were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. 25(OH)D levels were measured using the microparticle chemiluminescence method. A directed acyclic graph was constructed to identify the minimum set of adjustments. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to determine the effects of 25(OH)D on depressive symptoms.
Results:
Data from 574 older adults (63.1% female) were analyzed. In the follow-up (n=390), 16.2% of them presented severe depressive symptoms (= 6 points). Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that 25(OH)D had a small direct negative effect (ß = -0.11, p < 0.05) and an overall negative effect (ß = -0.13; p < 0.05) on depressive symptoms in wave 3 (increased 25[OH]D led to decreased depressive symptoms). No direct or indirect effect on depressive symptoms was found in wave 2.
Conclusion:
Our findings indicate a prospective association between 25(OH)D and depressive symptoms, suggesting a long-term effect in older adults from southern Brazil.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Depression: Overview
Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin...
Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...

