{"id":{"repo_id":"washington","oai_identifier":"oai:digital.lib.washington.edu:1773/21800"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/washington/oai:digital.lib.washington.edu:1773/21800","repository":{"repo_id":"washington","name":"University of Washington","base_url":"https://digital.lib.washington.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Vitamin D Supplementation Among Women of Childbearing Age: Prevalence and Disparities","abstract":"<bold>Background:</bold> Maternal vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous adverse health conditions. However, most women of childbearing age are vitamin D deficient. 1 Although scientific and public awareness about vitamin D deficiency's role in health has increased in recent years, current data are not available to assess whether there have been concomitant increases of supplementation among women of childbearing age. <bold>Methods:</bold> We assessed prevalence and significant associations of vitamin D supplementation among childbearing-age women (16-49 years) in the most recently available National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset (2007-2008). We examined prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in stratified demographic (age, race/ethnic), socioeconomic (education, income, food security, health insurance, years in U.S.) and health (BMI, waist circumference, exercise, diabetes, weight-loss attempts, parity/breastfeeding) subgroups to determine disparities in supplementation. Logistic regression models (both unadjusted and adjusted) were used to examine associations between Vitamin D supplementation and these variables. Sampling weights were applied to account for the complex survey design and ensure generalizability to women of childbearing age among the non-institutionalized population in the US. 2 Analyses were conducted using Stata versions 11 and 12 (College Station, TX). <bold>Results:</bold>Of 1749 women, 459 (33%) had taken supplements containing vitamin D during the past 30 days. We observed low supplementation prevalence (range 12%-27%) among teenagers, those with high body mass index (BMI), low socio-economic status (low-income, low education, ethnicity other than white, food insecurity, or no/government insurance), as well as parous women who had never breastfed, and women with no history of vigorous or moderate exercise. In the fully adjusted regression models, Mexican-American race/ethnic identity (OR: .53, 95% CI .33-.86), low food security (OR: .65, 95% CI .44-.95), no health insurance (OR .65, 95% CI .42-1.00), government/other health insurance (OR: .66, 95% CI .45-.96), and parity without breastfeeding (OR: .63, 95% CI .40-.99) were associated with lower likelihood of vitamin D supplement use compared with the reference groups. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Disparities in vitamin D supplementation parallel and may exacerbate disparities in nutrition and health. Supplementation rates may reflect inequalities. Findings should influence public health practice and advocacy.","abstract_html":"&lt;bold&gt;Background:&lt;/bold&gt; Maternal vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous adverse health conditions. However, most women of childbearing age are vitamin D deficient. 1 Although scientific and public awareness about vitamin D deficiency&#x27;s role in health has increased in recent years, current data are not available to assess whether there have been concomitant increases of supplementation among women of childbearing age. &lt;bold&gt;Methods:&lt;/bold&gt; We assessed prevalence and significant associations of vitamin D supplementation among childbearing-age women (16-49 years) in the most recently available National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset (2007-2008). We examined prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in stratified demographic (age, race/ethnic), socioeconomic (education, income, food security, health insurance, years in U.S.) and health (BMI, waist circumference, exercise, diabetes, weight-loss attempts, parity/breastfeeding) subgroups to determine disparities in supplementation. Logistic regression models (both unadjusted and adjusted) were used to examine associations between Vitamin D supplementation and these variables. Sampling weights were applied to account for the complex survey design and ensure generalizability to women of childbearing age among the non-institutionalized population in the US. 2 Analyses were conducted using Stata versions 11 and 12 (College Station, TX). &lt;bold&gt;Results:&lt;/bold&gt;Of 1749 women, 459 (33%) had taken supplements containing vitamin D during the past 30 days. We observed low supplementation prevalence (range 12%-27%) among teenagers, those with high body mass index (BMI), low socio-economic status (low-income, low education, ethnicity other than white, food insecurity, or no/government insurance), as well as parous women who had never breastfed, and women with no history of vigorous or moderate exercise. In the fully adjusted regression models, Mexican-American race/ethnic identity (OR: .53, 95% CI .33-.86), low food security (OR: .65, 95% CI .44-.95), no health insurance (OR .65, 95% CI .42-1.00), government/other health insurance (OR: .66, 95% CI .45-.96), and parity without breastfeeding (OR: .63, 95% CI .40-.99) were associated with lower likelihood of vitamin D supplement use compared with the reference groups. &lt;bold&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/bold&gt; Disparities in vitamin D supplementation parallel and may exacerbate disparities in nutrition and health. Supplementation rates may reflect inequalities. Findings should influence public health practice and advocacy.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gardner, Deborah Beth"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Bell, Janice"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-02-25","date_published":"2013-02-25","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:25Z","subjects":["childbearing; deficiency; disparities; supplements; vitamin D; women"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1773/21800","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Bell, Janice"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gardner, Deborah Beth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2013-02-25T17:51:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-02-25T17:51:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-02-25"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["childbearing; deficiency; disparities; supplements; vitamin D; women"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["Gardner_washington_0250O_10746.pdf"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1773/21800"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2012"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["<bold>Background:</bold> Maternal vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous adverse health conditions. However, most women of childbearing age are vitamin D deficient. 1 Although scientific and public awareness about vitamin D deficiency's role in health has increased in recent years, current data are not available to assess whether there have been concomitant increases of supplementation among women of childbearing age. <bold>Methods:</bold> We assessed prevalence and significant associations of vitamin D supplementation among childbearing-age women (16-49 years) in the most recently available National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset (2007-2008). We examined prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in stratified demographic (age, race/ethnic), socioeconomic (education, income, food security, health insurance, years in U.S.) and health (BMI, waist circumference, exercise, diabetes, weight-loss attempts, parity/breastfeeding) subgroups to determine disparities in supplementation. Logistic regression models (both unadjusted and adjusted) were used to examine associations between Vitamin D supplementation and these variables. Sampling weights were applied to account for the complex survey design and ensure generalizability to women of childbearing age among the non-institutionalized population in the US. 2 Analyses were conducted using Stata versions 11 and 12 (College Station, TX). <bold>Results:</bold>Of 1749 women, 459 (33%) had taken supplements containing vitamin D during the past 30 days. We observed low supplementation prevalence (range 12%-27%) among teenagers, those with high body mass index (BMI), low socio-economic status (low-income, low education, ethnicity other than white, food insecurity, or no/government insurance), as well as parous women who had never breastfed, and women with no history of vigorous or moderate exercise. In the fully adjusted regression models, Mexican-American race/ethnic identity (OR: .53, 95% CI .33-.86), low food security (OR: .65, 95% CI .44-.95), no health insurance (OR .65, 95% CI .42-1.00), government/other health insurance (OR: .66, 95% CI .45-.96), and parity without breastfeeding (OR: .63, 95% CI .40-.99) were associated with lower likelihood of vitamin D supplement use compared with the reference groups. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Disparities in vitamin D supplementation parallel and may exacerbate disparities in nutrition and health. Supplementation rates may reflect inequalities. Findings should influence public health practice and advocacy."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Vitamin D Supplementation Among Women of Childbearing Age: Prevalence and Disparities"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Bell, Janice"],"dc:creator":["Gardner, Deborah Beth"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2013-02-25T17:51:16Z"],"dc:date.available":["2013-02-25T17:51:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-02-25"],"dc:description":["Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2012"],"dc:description.abstract":["<bold>Background:</bold> Maternal vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous adverse health conditions. However, most women of childbearing age are vitamin D deficient. 1 Although scientific and public awareness about vitamin D deficiency's role in health has increased in recent years, current data are not available to assess whether there have been concomitant increases of supplementation among women of childbearing age. <bold>Methods:</bold> We assessed prevalence and significant associations of vitamin D supplementation among childbearing-age women (16-49 years) in the most recently available National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset (2007-2008). We examined prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in stratified demographic (age, race/ethnic), socioeconomic (education, income, food security, health insurance, years in U.S.) and health (BMI, waist circumference, exercise, diabetes, weight-loss attempts, parity/breastfeeding) subgroups to determine disparities in supplementation. Logistic regression models (both unadjusted and adjusted) were used to examine associations between Vitamin D supplementation and these variables. Sampling weights were applied to account for the complex survey design and ensure generalizability to women of childbearing age among the non-institutionalized population in the US. 2 Analyses were conducted using Stata versions 11 and 12 (College Station, TX). <bold>Results:</bold>Of 1749 women, 459 (33%) had taken supplements containing vitamin D during the past 30 days. We observed low supplementation prevalence (range 12%-27%) among teenagers, those with high body mass index (BMI), low socio-economic status (low-income, low education, ethnicity other than white, food insecurity, or no/government insurance), as well as parous women who had never breastfed, and women with no history of vigorous or moderate exercise. In the fully adjusted regression models, Mexican-American race/ethnic identity (OR: .53, 95% CI .33-.86), low food security (OR: .65, 95% CI .44-.95), no health insurance (OR .65, 95% CI .42-1.00), government/other health insurance (OR: .66, 95% CI .45-.96), and parity without breastfeeding (OR: .63, 95% CI .40-.99) were associated with lower likelihood of vitamin D supplement use compared with the reference groups. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Disparities in vitamin D supplementation parallel and may exacerbate disparities in nutrition and health. Supplementation rates may reflect inequalities. Findings should influence public health practice and advocacy."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["Gardner_washington_0250O_10746.pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1773/21800"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the individual authors."],"dc:subject":["childbearing; deficiency; disparities; supplements; vitamin D; women"],"dc:title":["Vitamin D Supplementation Among Women of Childbearing Age: Prevalence and Disparities"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:58:25Z"}