Table 3.
Vitamin C status relative to residential status.
| Reference | Population (Location) |
n and Residential Status |
Age (Years) | Vitamin C Intake (mg/d) | Vitamin C Status (µmol/L) | Vitamin C Deficiency (%) | p Value a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institutionalised vs. community dwelling | |||||||
| Paniz 2007 [40] | 67 older women (Brazil) | 22 non-institutionalised | 68 ± 6 | NR | 76 ± 6 | NR | |
| 45 retirement home | 71 ± 6 | 54 ± 4 | 0.002 | ||||
| Bates 1999 [41] | >1000 older people (NDNS, UK) | >785 free-living | ≥65 | 33% b | 44 ± 25 | 14 | NR |
| >230 institutionalised | ≥65 | 45% | 25 ± 21 | 40 | |||
| Löwik 1993 [42] | 135 older women (the Netherlands) | 52 independent living | ≥65 | 146 ± 75 | 61 ± 21 | 0 | |
| 29 serviced flats | ≥65 | 135 ± 188 | 54 ± 19 | 4 | |||
| 54 nursing home | ≥65 | 55 ± 28 | 24 ± 18 | 35 | <0.001 | ||
| Barnes 1990 [33] | 139 older people (USA) | 89 non-institutionalised | 60–90 | NR | 89 ± 35 | NR | |
| 50 institutionalised | 60–90 | 70 ± 37 | <0.01 | ||||
| Marazzi 1990 [43] | 129 older women (Italy) | 65 non-institutionalised | 60–90 | 102 ± 68 | 59 ± 30 | 2 | |
| 64 institutionalised | 60–90 | 88 ± 42 | 37 ± 24 | 11 | <0.001 | ||
| Newton 1985 [23] | 79 older women (UK) | 57 active older people | ~73 | 58 (18–156) | 44 ± 28 | NR | NR |
| 12 long-stay hospital | ~81 | 14 (9–22) | 13 ± 7 | ||||
| 10 long-stay hospital | ~88 | 26 (7–37) | 10 ± 3 | ||||
| Vir 1978 [44] | 186 older people (Northern Ireland) | 37 home | 70–91 | NR | 22/30 c | 30/23 c | NR |
| 43 hospital | 65–94 | 16/27 | 30/14 | ||||
| 20 sheltered dwelling | 68–89 | 11/27 | 33/13 | ||||
| 26 residential | 65–95 | 10/23 | 67/24 | ||||
| McClean 1977 [45] | 70 older men (New Zealand) | 35 living alone | NR | 31 ± 29 | 26 ± 20 | NR | |
| 35 residential home | >70 | 21 | 16 ± 15 | 83 d | <0.005 | ||
| Hospitalised | |||||||
| Sharma 2019 [27] |
149 general medical inpatients aged ≥18 years (Australia) |
142 home | NR | NR | NR | 75 | |
| 61 home alone | 80 | ||||||
| 7 nursing home | 100 | NS | |||||
| Teixeira 2001 [46] | 50 older patients admitted to internal medicine unit (France) | 50 total cohort e | 80 ± 9 | NR | 18 ± 18 | 88 | |
| 5 nursing home | ≥65 | 7 ± 1 | NR | 0.05 | |||
| Mandal 1987 [34] | 277 patients newly admitted to assessment geriatric ward (UK) | 120 with family | ≥65 | NR | NR | 43 | NR |
| 94 living alone | ≥65 | 33 | |||||
| 20 sheltered residence | ≥65 | 35 | |||||
| 43 institutions | ≥65 | 49 | |||||
Data represent mean and SD or SEM (or range). a—p-value is for vitamin C status (or % deficiency); b—<RNI (recommended nutrient intake); c—male/female; d—hypovitaminosis C (≤23 µmol/L); and e—total cohort comprised of 27 admitted directly from their homes, 14 from the emergency department, 5 from nursing homes, and 4 from other medical units. NDNS—National Diet and Nutrition Survey; NR—not reported; and NS—not significant.