Brazilian older adults’ vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in older Brazilian adults. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The search explored the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS platforms. Clinical and observational studies published before November 9, 2022, were included. The review was registered in PROSPERO No. 74,732 and evaluated using the adapted Loney scale. The search strategy identified 1,169 articles, of which 26 met the inclusion criteria, totaling 9,606 older adults. The vitamin D deficiency prevalence was 34.2% (95%CI: 25.0-44.6), and the insufficiency prevalence was 35.2% (95%CI: 31.0-39.5). The highest prevalence found was in the southern region (86.3% deficiency) and the southeast (51.4% insufficiency). Cross-sectional studies have shown a similar prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency to the overall prevalence (34.2% and 33.7%). A statistically significant difference was found in the studies’ risk of bias assessment (insufficiency subgroup). The results show a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in older Brazilian adults, pronounced even in places with higher incidences of sunlight.