From GrassrootsHealth

Does your job affect your vitamin D status? Should certain occupations have specific guidelines and actions to take for vitamin D?

A review by Sowah et al. looked at data from 71 peer-reviewed studies to determine how vitamin D levels differed among individuals working in different occupations. The review included indoor and outdoor workers, shift workers, lead/smelter workers, coalminers, and healthcare professionals. The authors also evaluated the effect of season on vitamin D levels between the different groups.

For the purpose of this study, vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25(OH)D level below 20 ng/ml (50 mol/L), and insufficiency was defined as a level between 20-30 ng/ml (50-75 nmol/L).

Who was Most Deficient in Vitamin D?

The rates of vitamin D deficiency were:

• 80% among shift workers (91% were insufficient or deficient)
• 78% among indoor workers (91% were insufficient or deficient)
• 48% among outdoor workers (75% were insufficient or deficient)

This study found that the rates of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were not dependent on study location or latitude when looking at both vitamin D levels of indoor and outdoor workers. Shift workers had the lowest vitamin D levels of all others, with the highest risk of vitamin D deficiency.

The occupation with the highest vitamin D levels were lead/smelter workers; this was the only group whose vitamin D level, on average, was above 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L).

A Closer Look at Healthcare Workers 

When evaluating data from 19,083 healthcare workers, an average vitamin D level of 25 ng/ml (62 nmol/L) was found. The study took a closer look at healthcare professionals to find that the rates of vitamin D deficiency among different healthcare professionals was

• 72% among healthcare students
• 65% among medical residents
• 46% among practicing physicians
• 44% among other healthcare employees
• 43% among nurses

The chart below illustrates the rates of vitamin D deficiency (white bars; below 20 ng/ml) and vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (black bars; below 30 ng/ml) among each of the healthcare professions examined.

Did Season Affect Vitamin D Levels?

Data was analyzed to determine the effect of season on vitamin D levels for indoor workers compared to outdoor workers. This analysis found that, regardless of season, outdoor workers maintained a higher vitamin D level compared to indoor workers. Among outdoor workers, vitamin D levels were lowest during the spring compared to any other season; an interesting finding showed vitamin D levels during the winter were comparable to summer and autumn levels for outdoor workers.

For those working indoors, the highest vitamin D levels were found during the summer, and the lowest levels were in spring and winter.

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