Circannual prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in older and minoritized ethnic adults in Northern Britain: screening outcomes from a clinical trial (ISRCTN13778806)

Alice Goddard; Anthony Watson; Rowena Tilbury; Bernard M Corfe; Andrea Fairley

doi:10.1038/s41430-026-01760-z

Circannual prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in older and minoritized ethnic adults in Northern Britain: screening outcomes from a clinical trial (ISRCTN13778806)

Eur J Clin Nutr. 2026 May 19. doi: 10.1038/s41430-026-01760-z. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Alice Goddard¹, Anthony Watson¹, Rowena Tilbury², Bernard M Corfe³, Andrea Fairley¹

Affiliations

¹ Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre and School of Biomedical, Nutrition, Sports and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
² Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre and Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
³ Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre and Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. bernard.corfe@newcastle.ac.uk.

PMID: 42156552
DOI: 10.1038/s41430-026-01760-z

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D is essential for bone and metabolic health. Deficiency remains a global health issue, particularly among older adults and ethnic minorities with darker skin pigmentation. Data on circannual variation these groups remain sparse.

Subjects/methods: This study reports vitamin D status in older adults ( ≥ 65 years) and ethnic adults ( ≥ 18 years, Fitzpatrick classes IV-VI) in northern Britain, assessed during the screening phase of a supplementation trial. Participants were screened for inclusion between December 2024 and August 2025. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was assessed in dried blood spots followed by LC-MS/MS analysis.

Results: In total, 299 participants were screened. Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency ( < 50 nmol/L) was noted in 54.8% of older adults and 72.1% of ethnic individuals. These rates did not decline during summer months.

Conclusion: These findings highlight persistently high rates of vitamin D insufficiency across high-risk groups in northern Britain and underscore the inadequacy of sunlight exposure as a corrective measure.