. 2014 Feb 21;6(2):729–775. doi: 10.3390/nu6020729

Table 1.

Vitamin D status of ostensibly healthy Indians. All 25(OH)D values have been shown in ng/mL. To convert from nM to ng/mL, nM values were divided by (2.5). Vitamin D deficiency is defined as 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL, insufficiency as 20–29 ng/mL and sufficiency as ≥30 ng/mL; ^‡ Information available from the abstract of the article. Age of the subjects is in mean age (SD) years, unless otherwise indicated.

Locale	Study Subjects		25(OH)D (ng/mL) Mean (SD)	Vitamin D Status			Reference
Locale	Study Subjects		25(OH)D (ng/mL) Mean (SD)	% deficient	% insufficient	% sufficient	Reference
Northern India
Kashmir (34.3° N)	Total N = 92	Adults, age 28.15 (4.9) years.	-	83	-	-	Zargar 2007 [79]
	N = 64	M	15.06 (12.0)	76.6	-	-
	N = 28	F	5.51 (4.42)	94.4	-	-
	N = 50	Urban subjects	11.26 (9.65)	85.7	-	-
	N = 42	Rural subjects	12.84 (12.39)	80	-	-
		Occupation:
	N = 17	Rural/farmer, 17 M/0 F	-	70.6	-	-
	N = 23	Government employee, 20 M/3 F	-	69.6	-	-
	N = 15	Household, 0 M/15 F	-	100	-	-
	N = 23	Medical professional, 16 M/7 F	-	91.3	-	-
	N = 14	Student 11 M/3 F	-	85.3	-	-
Punjab (31.1° N) & Haryana (29° N)	Total N = 90	Adults, paramilitary soldiers. Adequate diet, sun exposure and physical exercise.	-	-	-	-	Tandon 2003 [56]
	N = 40	M, in winter, age 22.7 (2.8) years.	18.4 (5.3)	-	-	-
	N = 50	F, in summer, age 23.4 (3.1) years.	25.3 (7.4)	-	-	-
Chandigarh (30.7° N	Total N = 329	Young urban adults, age 18–25 years, at the end of summer	52.9 (33.7)	-	-	72.5%	^‡ Ramakrishnan 2011 [80]
Chandigarh (30.7° N	N = 237	Subjects from the same cohort at the end of winter	31.8 (21.1)	-	-	50.7%	^‡ Ramakrishnan 2011 [80]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 31	Urban adults, M, age 25 (5) years, soldiers, winter	18.87 (4.69)	-	-	-	Goswami 2000 [55]
	N = 15	Urban adults, 10 M + 5 F, age 43 (16) years, depigmented persons, winter	7.28 (4.49)	-	-	-
	N = 19	Urban adults, 11 M + 8 F, age 23 (5) years, physicians and nurses, winter	3.19 (1.39)	-	-	-
	N = 19	Urban adults, 11 M + 8 F, age 24 (4) years, physicians and nurses, summer	7.17 (3.19)	-	-	-
	N = 29	Urban adult F/mothers, age 23 (5) years, low income, summer	8.76 (4.29)	-	-	-
	N = 29	Newborns of the mothers studied, 16 M + 13 F, summer	6.68 (1.99)	-	-	-
Agota village (29° N) 80 km from Delhi	Total N = 57	Rural Adults	14.56 (9)	68.5	-	-	Goswami 2008 [81]
	N = 32	M, rural, age 42.8 (16.6) years	17.68 (9.76)	-	-	-
	N = 25	F, rural, age 43.4 (12.6) years	10.76 (6.86)	-	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 186	Young adults F, age 18.6 (1.3) years	12.96 (9.84)	-	-	-	Marwaha 2011 [57]
	N = 90	Sports-girls from colleges	21.2 (7.57)	-	-	-
	N = 96	College girls	5.16 (3.08)	100	0	0
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 642	Urban adults, middle income group	7 (4.08)	-	-	-	Goswami 2009 [82]
	N = 244	Adult M, age 31.4 (13.4) years	7.2 (3.64)	-	-	-
	N = 398	Adult F, age 35.1 (13.4) years	6.88 (4.36)	-	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 105	Urban adults, middle income group, age 43.3 (9.7) years	9.8 (6.0)	94.3	-	-	Vupputuri 2006 [83]
	N = 51	M, indoor workers	10.8 (6.8)	-	-	-
	N = 54	F, housewives	8.8 (4.9)	-	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total n = 404	Adolescents, F, urban, age 12.3 (3.4) years	12.74 (6.17)	90.8	-	-	Puri 2008 [84]
	n = 193	Low income level	13.84 (6.97)	89.6	-	-
	n = 211	Higher income level	11.75 (5.07)	91.9	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 5137	Adolescents, urban, school children, age 10–18 years	11.8 (7.2)	-	-	-	Marwaha 2005 [85]
	N = 3089	Lower income level, 1079 M, 2010 F	10.4 (0.4)	92.6	-	-
	N = 2048	Higher income level, 968 M, 1080 F	13.7 (0.4)	84.9	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 664	Urban adolescent F, school girls, age 12.8 (2.7) years	11.4 (5.8)	-	-	-	Marwaha 2007 [86]
	N = 369	Lower income level, age 12.8 (2.7) years	11.1 (5.2)	-	-	-
	N = 295	Higher income level, age 12.7 (2.6) years	11.8 (6.4)	-	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	Total N = 1346	Urban adults ≥50 years, 643 M, 703 F, age 58 (9.5)years (range 50–84 years)	9.79 (7.61)	91.2	6.8	2	Marwaha 2011 [87]
	N = 995	Age group 50–65 years	9.72 (7.75)	91.3	6.9	1.8
	N = 351	Age group >65 years	9.99 (7.2)	91.2	6.6	2.2
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 1346	Adults, ≥50 years, age 58 (9.5) years, 48% M, 52% F	9.8 (7.6)	91.3	6.8	1.9	Garg 2013 [88]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 1829	Adolescents, 45% M, 55% F, age 13.3 (2.5) years	8.3 (5.2)	96.9	2.6	0.5	Garg 2013 [88]
Delhi (28.3°N)	N = 521	Pregnant women, lower-middle income level, age 24.6 (2.8) years	9.28 (4.88)	96.3	-	-	Marwaha 2011 [89]
	N = 342	Lactating mothers, from the above group 6–8 weeks postpartum.	7.84 (3.32)	99.7	-	-
	N = 342	Exclusively breastfed Infants	8.92 (4.2)	98.8	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 180	Lactating mothers	10.88 (5.8)	-	-	-	^‡ Seth 2009 [90]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 180	Exclusively breastfed infants, 2–24 weeks old	11.56 (8.3)	-	-	-	^‡ Seth 2009 [90]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 26	Infants, urban, age 16 ± 4.1 months, 15 M/11 F, low income families, high air pollution area	12.4 (7)	-	-	-	Agarwal 2002 [63]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 31	Infants, urban, 15.9 (3.8) months, 15 M/16 F, low income families, low air pollution area	27.1 (7)	-	-	-	Agarwal 2002 [63]
Delhi (28.3° N)		Urban slum children, age 9–30 months					Tiwari 2004 [91]
	N = 47	Sundernagari area, winter	38.52 (10.28)	-	-	-
	N = 49	Rajiv Colony area, winter	9.5 (10.8)	-	-	-
	N = 48	Rajiv Colony area, summer	7.12 (8.96)	-	-	-
	N = 52	Gurgaon area, summer	7.68 (8.08)	-	-	-
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 60	Lactating mothers 25.0 (2.0) years	9.06 (4.78)	98.3	-	-	Mehrotra 2010 [92]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 60	Breastfed infants, 3.0 (0.14) months	9.03 (4.63)	100	0	0	Mehrotra 2010 [92]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 98	Lactating mothers 23.1 (3.3) years	Median 9.8 (5.0–13.8)	-	-	-	Jain 2011 [93]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 98	Breastfed infants, 58.2% M, age 13.6 (2.2)weeks	Median 10.1 (2.5–17.1)	-	-	-	Jain 2011 [93]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 220	Infants, low birth-weight, at birth	Median 6.5 (4.0–54.5)	93	-	-	Agarwal 2012 [94]
	N = 127	Infants, low birth-weight, at 3 months	Median 11.1 (4.0–78.0)	72.4	-	-
	N = 116	Infants, normal birth-weight, at birth	Median 5.8 (4.0–26.6)	94.8	-	-
	N = 77	Infants, normal birth-weight, at 3 months	Median 8.2 (4–29.7)	83.1	-	-
	N = 216	Mothers of low birth-weight infants, at term	Median 5.6 (4.0–38.3)	93.5	4.2	2.3
	N = 116	Mothers of normal birth-weight infants at term	Median 5.8 (4.0–21.1)	96.6	1.7	1.7
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 97	Urban, lactating mothers, low income level	9.85 (6.28)	-	-	-	Agarwal 2010 [95]
Delhi (28.3° N)	N = 97	Exclusively breastfed infants, age 10 weeks	12.59 ( 8.37)	-	-	-	Agarwal 2010 [95]
Lucknow, 26.8° N	N = 92	Urban adults, 67 F, 25 M, age 34.2 (6.7) years, hospital staff	12.3 (10.9)	78.3	-	-	Arya 2004 [96]
Lucknow (26.8° N)	Total N = 207	Pregnant women before labor, low and middle income group, age 24.0 (4.1) years.	14 (9.3)	-	-	-	Sachan 2005 [97]
	N = 140	Urban F	14.0 (9.5)	-	-	-
	N = 67	Rural F	14.1 (8.9)	-	-	-
	N = 207	Neonates/cord blood	8.4 (5.7)	95.7	-	-
Barabanki 32 km from Lucknow (27° N)	N = 139	Rural pregnant women, age 26.7 (4.1) years	15.12 (7.92)	74	-	-	Sahu 2009 [98]
	N = 121	Rural F adolescents, age 14.3 (2.7) years.	13.32 (6.4)	88.6	-	-
	N = 28	sisters of 34 boys, age 14.4 (2.7) years, in winter	12.52 (5.4)	-	-	-
	N = 34	brothers of 28 girls, age 14 (3) years, in winter	27 (11.6)	-	-	-
	N = 260	Rural (pregnant women + girls) in summer	22.2 (7.92)	-	-	-
	N = 260	Rural (pregnant women + girls) in winter	10.92 (4.92)	-	-	-
Varanasi (25.3° N)	N = 200	Adults, M, ≥50 years, age 62.61 (7.64) years	18.96 (10.23)	58	28.5	13.5	Agarwal 2013 [99]
Southern India
Tirupati (13.4° N)	Total N = 316		-	69.3	-	-	Harinarayan 2004 [74]
	N = 191	Rural adults, age 44 (1.03) years	21 (0.46)	58.6	-	-
	N = 125	Urban adults, age 45.5 (0.95) years	13.52 (0.59)	85.6	-	-
Tirupati (13.4° N)	Total N = 1285	21% M, 79% F	-	-	-	-	Harinarayan 2008 [100]
	N = 205	Rural adults, age 43 years. 53% M, 47% F	M 23.73 (0.8)	M 44	M 39.5	M 16.5
	N = 205	Rural adults, age 43 years. 53% M, 47% F	F19 (0.89)	F 70	F 29	F 1
	N = 941	Urban adults, age 46 years. 14% M, 86% F Hospital staff & relatives	M 18.54 (0.8)	M 62	M 26	M 12
	N = 941		F 15.5 (0.3)	F 75	F 19	F 6
	N = 70	Rural children, age 13 years. 48% M, 52% F	M 17 (1.3)	M 76.5	M 14.7	M 8.8
	N = 70	Rural children, age 13 years. 48% M, 52% F	F 19 (1.59)	F 72.2	F 13.9	F 13.9
	N = 69	Urban children, age 13 years. 43% M, 57% F	M 15.57(1.2)	M 81.5	M 14.8	M 3.7
	N = 69	Urban children, age 13 years. 43% M, 57% F	F 18.5 (1.66)	F 62.9	F 25.7	F 11.4
Tirupati (13.4° N)	N = 164	Rural postmenopausal women, age 54 (8) years.	14.6 (7)	82	-	-	Harinarayan 2005 [101]
Tirupati (13.4° N)	N = 150	Semi-urban postmenopausal women, age 60.1 (5.0) years	20.85 (8.63)	50	-	-	Paul 2008 [102]
Tirupati (13.4° N)	Total N = 191	Semi-urban women	-	-	-	-	Harinarayan 2011 [103]
	N = 55	Reproductive F age 37.42 (0.72) years	15.70 (1.38)	76.3	16.4	7.3
	N = 136	Postmenopausal F, age 53.29 (0.72) years.	17.70 (0.94)	66.9	22.8	10.3
Mysore (12.3° N)	N = 559	Pregnant women at the 30th week of pregnancy, age 24 years.	Median 15.12 (9.6–23.4)	66.5	-	-	Farrant 2009 [104]
Eastern India
Kolkata (22.5° N)	N = 40	Doctors, 39 M, 1 F, age 52.22 (10.91) years.	13.02 (4.77)	92.5	5	2.5	Baidya 2012 [54]
Western India
Mumbai (18.9° N)	N = 42	Pregnant women 37th week of pregnancy, age 20–35 years, middle income group	22.99 (10.93)	-	-	-	Bhalala 2007 [105]
	N = 42	Cord blood/neonates	19.36 (9.57)	-	-	-
	N = 35	Infants, 3 months old, exclusively breastfed	18.19 (9.74)	-	-	-
Mumbai (18.9° N)	Total N = 214	Urban adults, 81% M, 19% F, age 26–30 years.	-	87.5	-	-	Multani 2010 [58]
	N = 174	M, Resident doctors	12.80 (7.94)	85	-	-
	N = 40	F, Resident doctors	10.94 (4.54)	97.5	-	-
Mumbai (18.9° N)	Total N = 1137	Young urban adults, age 30.38 (3.55) years	17.4 (9.1)	-	-	7.2	Shivane 2011 [106]
	N = 558	M	18.9 (8.9)	-	-	9.7
	N = 579	F	15.8 (9.1)	-	-	4.8
Pune (18.5° N)	N = 110	Slum toddlers, age 2.6 (0.7) years	-	-	-	-	Ekbote 2010 [107]
	N = 50	25 M, 25 F, outdoors (daily sun exposure of 15–60 min or more)	45.24 (31.88)	-	-	-
	N = 60	31 M, 29 F, indoors	3.84 (10.64)	-	-	-
Pune (18.5° N)	N = 71	Urban children, 36 M, 35 F, age 2.8 (0.6) years, all income groups	11.94 (12.61)	-	-	-	Ekbote 2011 [108]
Pune (18.5° N)	N = 50	Adolescent girls, low income group, age 14.7 (0.10) years	Median 9.36 (5.4–12.76)	-	-	-	Khadilkar 2010 [109]
Pune (18.5° N)		Women: housewives, working women, retired	-	-	-	-	Kadam 2010 [110]
	N = 80	Premenopausal F, age 45.6 (4.8) years	9.68 (4.56)	-	-	-
	N = 92	Postmenopausal F, age 54.0 (7.1) years.	10.76 (6.8)	-	-	-
Pune (18.5° N)	Total N = 214	Premenarchal school girls, low income group	24.6 (10.4)	34.2	-	-	Kadam 2011 [111]
	N = 134	Age 8–9 years	24.36 (10.32)	-	-	-
	N = 80	Age 10–12 years	25.12 (10.64)	-	-	-
All over India
18 cities spread all over India	N = 2119	Adults, medical and paramedical personnel, 72% M, 28% F, age 42.71 (6.8) years.	14.35 (10.62)	79	15	6	Beloyartseva 2012 [59]
18 cities spread all over India		No significant differences were found either between men and women, or northern and southern India.					Beloyartseva 2012 [59]