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Is there enough sun in Australia? - A study of vitamin D deficiency in an urbanAustralian Aboriginal population

Jill Benson, Nigel Stocks, Nicole Moulding Discipline of General Practice, University of Adelaide, South Australia
Anne Wilson Discipline of Nursing, University of Adelaide

Objectives

There is a well established body of literature on the metabolism of vitamin D in individuals with different skin pigmentation and on its deficiency in overseas populations and within Australia, especially among particular migrant groups. However there is no available literature on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the Australian Aboriginal population. One of the possible sequelae of vitamin D deficiency, muscle pain, appears to have a higher prevalence in Aboriginal people. This was the relationship explored in this research.

The aim of this study was to compare the Vitamin D levels of Australian Aboriginal patients with muscle pain and those without muscle pain who presented at an urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health service.

Method

Case control study at the Brady Street Clinic of Nunkuwarrin Yunti in northern Adelaide in October and November 2005. A comparison was made of the serum vitamin D levels in eight patients with muscle pain and eight gender and age matched patients without muscle pain.

Results

All the patients (cases) with muscle pain were found to have mild deficiency of vitamin D, and this was significantly different to control patients without muscle pain. (p=0.017).

Discussion

General practitioners are often faced with patients with undiagnosed chronic muscle pain that may interfere with their level of function and lifestyle. It may be that this is more common in the Aboriginal community who may also be at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency. This study has shown that muscle pain seems to be an indicator of vitamin D deficiency in urban Aboriginal patients.

Implications

Future research is needed to ascertain if treatment improves the muscle pain of vitamin D deficiency. GPs may be in a good position to diagnose a simple deficiency where treatment will improve the health and well-being of many Aboriginal people.

Publication Date: 11 October 2006