Swiss Medical Weekly
Volume 147, Issue 51-52, 2017

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and intramuscular Vitamin D3 supplementation among eritrean migrants recently arrived in Switzerland (Article) (Open Access)

Afona C. , Nicole-Probst H. , Kerstin K. , Véronique S. , Christoph H. , Daniel P.H. , Katharina R. , Beatrice N. , Andreas N. , Labhardt Niklaus D.*
  • a Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • b Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • c Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • d Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • e Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • f Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • g Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland
  • h Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • i Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • j Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Switzerland, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, P.O. Box, Basel, CH-4002, Switzerland

Abstract

In a cross-sectional screening programme, we assessed serum Vitamin D levels in adult Eritrean refugees recently arrived in Switzerland. Median Vitamin D level among 107 participants (95 males and 12 females) was 27 nmol/l (interquartile range 23–42 nmol/l), 86% had insufficient Vitamin D levels (≤50 nmol/l) and 36% severe deficiency (<25 nmol/l). In 29 participants who received single-dose intramuscular Vitamin D substitution (300 000 IU), median Vitamin D levels increased from 25 to 35 nmol/l after 3 months (p = 0.005); only 11 (38%) reached sufficient Vitamin D levels. Eritrean migrants should be routinely screened for Vitamin D deficiency. Single-dose intramuscular supplementation appeared to be insufficient to achieve optimal levels in the majority of participants.

Author Keywords

Vitamin D Migrants Refugees Eritrea Switzerland

Index Keywords

refugee vitamin blood level follow up human Vitamin D controlled study screening cross-sectional study migrant treatment duration Adolescent 25 hydroxyvitamin D male female colecalciferol prevalence vitamin D deficiency Article Eritrean major clinical study vitamin supplementation single drug dose Switzerland
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041173666&doi=10.4414%2fsmw.2017.14568&partnerID=40&md5=ecdd953941fbf51d6713f450e91dbb1c
DOI: 10.4414/smw.2017.14568
ISSN: 14247860
Original Language: English