A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE VITAMIN D STATUS OF AFRICAN-CARIBBEAN POPULATIONS: A REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency remains a global health issue, particularly in minority ethnic groups. There is a lack of research looking into the vitamin D status of the African-Caribbean population worldwide Objectives: This review investigates the vitamin D status (as measured by 25(OH)D or dietary intake) of the African-Caribbean population globally. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching key databases (PUBMED, Web of Science, Scopus) from inception until October 2019. Search terms included ‘Vitamin D status’ and ‘African-Caribbean’. A random effects and fixed effects meta-analysis was performed by combining means and standard error of the mean. Results: The search yielded 19 papers that included n=5,270 African-Caribbean participants from six countries. A meta-analysis model found this population to have sufficient (>50 nmol/L) 25(OH)D levels at 71.4nmol/L, 95% CI (62.8,80) and poor dietary intake of vitamin D at only 3.0µg/day, 95% CI (1.67,4.31). For those living at low latitudes ‘insufficient’ (defined by study authors) 25(OH)D levels were found only in participants with type 2 diabetes and those undergoing haemodialysis. Suboptimal dietary vitamin D intake was reported in all studies at high latitudes (UK recommended nutrient intake: 10µg/day). Studies at lower latitudes, with lower recommended dietary intakes (Caribbean recommended dietary intake: 2.5µg/day) found ’sufficient’ intake in two out of three studies. Conclusion: In African-Caribbean populations, 25(OH)D deficiency and low dietary vitamin D intake is more prevalent at higher latitudes. Acknowledgments: This work is part of the PhD of RV, which is funded by the Universities Global Partnership Network, co-supervised by the Universities of Surrey and Wollongong. Disclosures (if applicable): SLN is Research Director of D3Tex Ltd which holds the UK and GCC Patent for the use of materials for vitamin D prevention in populations who dress for cultural style.