Inequality of Health Status among American Elderly Persons: Racial, Age and Gender differences of Serum Vitamin D levels

Younghee Kim, Kayla Scherf, Nancy Boudreau, and Karen Bakies

Bowling Green State University, USA

The elderly population has grown rapidly during the past decade and impacted the health care system, economy and family life. In America, inequality of health condition exists among race, age and gender. Increasing healthy-living years and, at the same time, reducing inequality in health are two overarching goals of America as addressed in “Healthy People 2010.”

Osteoporosis, as a debilitating, painful and often fatal bone-losing disease, is inevitable with aging, but may be prevented or slowed down. Good bone health is maintained with exercise and a balanced diet containing calcium and vitamin D. The elderly population is exposed to high risk of vitamin D deficiency.

My research in this paper is the analysis of serum vitamin D of American adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2000-2004 data, which shows that the elderly have significantly lower serum vitamin D levels than the young. Many elderly have subnormal vitamin levels. Among the elderly, women compared to men and the Black- and Mexican-Americans compared to White-Americans have worse vitamin D status.

Vitamin D is unique and different from other vitamins because it can be synthesized in the skin upon exposure to the sun. Not only intakes of vitamin D but also outdoor activities and sun exposure are emphasized for the aging elderly.