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Table 1 General characteristics of study participants by country of origin (n = 204)

From: Vitamin D status and its determinants in healthy pregnant women living in Switzerland in the first trimester of pregnancy

 

Overallg

Switzerland and Germany

North America, Northern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia and New zealand (excluding Switzerland and Germany)

Southern Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean

South East Asia Pacific

Africa and Middle East

n (% of total women included)

204

45 (22.05)

70 (34.31)

28 (13.73)

26 (12.75)

35 (17.16)

Mothers, VitD deficienta, n (%)

129 (63.24)

18 (40.00)

42 (60.00)

14 (50.00)

23 (88.46)

32 (91.43)

Mothers, 25(OH)D ng/mL, median (Q1,Q3)

17.10 (9.78–22.30)

21.40 (17.30–25.60)

17.85 (9.98–26.13)

19.95 (12.95–22.10)

8.40 (6.10–14.88)

10.70 (6.55–14.45)

Age, mean (SD)

30.03 (4.85)

32.18 (4.44)

30.04 (5.06)

29.68 (5.06)

27.92 (4.02)

29.09 (4.51)

Week of pregnancy, median (Q1, Q3)

8 (7.75–9)

8 (7–9)

8 (7–9)

8 (8–9)

8 (8–9)

9 (8–11.5)

Nulliparity, n (%)

108 (52.94)

27 (60.00)

36 (51.43)

17 (60.71)

15 (57.69)

13 (37.14)

First pregnancy, n (%)

84 (41.18)

19 (42.22)

28 (40.00)

12 (42.86)

15 (57.69)

10 (28.57)

BMI before pregnancy (kg/m2), median (Q1, Q3)

21.82 (19.93–24.78)

21.30 (19.72–23.19)

20.96 (19.74–23.45)

21.76 (20.32–25.12)

22.77 (20.00–24.72)

24.48 (22.01–27.26)

BMI current (kg/m2), median (Q1, Q3)

22.20 (20.42–25.67)

21.97 (20.37–23.51)

21.56 (20.29–23.81)

22.55 (20.79–26.59)

23.09 (20.18–25.36)

25.75 (21.44–28.09)

Melanin index, median (Q1, Q3)

33.59 (30.82–39.57)

32.34 (30.48–33.46)

31.78 (29.90–34.04)

37.27 (34.09–41.19)

43.39 (34.34–46.04)

42.22 (34.23–56.73)

 Melanin index Group 1b, n(%)

68 (33.33)

18 (40.00)

36 (51.43)

4 (14.28)

2 (7.69)

8 (22.86)

 Melanin index Group 2b, n(%)

68 (33.33)

22 (48.89)

26 (37.14)

9 (32.14)

6 (23.08)

5 (14.29)

 Melanin index Group 3b, n(%)

68 (33.33)

5 (11.11)

8 (11.43)

15 (53.57)

18 (69.23)

22 (62.85)

Skin colour, n(%)

 Lightc

151 (74.02)

45 (100)

66 (94.29)

20 (71.43)

8 (30.79)

12 (34.29)

 Darkd

53 (25.98)

0

4 (5.71)

8 (28.57)

18 (69.21)

23 (65.71)

Educatione, n (%)

 Level 1

37 (18.14)

1 (2.22)

7 (10.00)

7 (25)

3 (11.54)

19 (54.29)

 Level 2

68 (33.33)

21 (46.67)

17 (24.29)

12 (42.86)

6 (23.08)

12 (34.28)

 Level 3

99 (48.53)

23 (51.11)

46 (65.71)

9 (32.14)

17 (65.38)

4 (11.43)

Education of the partner e, n (%)

 Level 1

33 (16.17)

3 (6.67)

4 (5.71)

4 (14.29)

3 (11.54)

19 (54.29)

 Level 2

79 (38.73)

19 (42.22)

24 (34.29)

14 (50.00)

9 (34.62)

13 (37.14)

 Level 3

90 (44.12)

23 (51.11)

40 (57.14)

10 (35.71)

14 (53.85)

3 (8.57)

Smoking status, n (%)

 Never

121 (59.31)

15 (33.33)

40 (57.14)

15 (53.57)

22 (84.62)

29 (82.86)

 Ever

62 (30.39)

21 (46.67)

24 (34.29)

8 (28.57)

4 (15.38)

5 (14.29)

 Current

21 (10.30)

9 (20.00)

6 (8.57)

5 (17.86)

0

1 (2.86)

Season, n (%)

 Winter

65 (31.86)

14 (31.11)

23 (32.86)

12 (42.86)

8 (30.77)

8 (22.86)

 Spring

46 (22.55)

10 (22.22)

14 (20.00)

4 (14.29)

4 (15.38)

8 (22.86)

 Summer

53 (25.98)

23 (28.89)

14 (20.00)

10 (35.71)

4 (15.38)

12 (34.28)

 Fall

40 (19.61)

8 (17.78)

19 (27.14)

2 (7.14)

10 (38.47)

7 (20.00)

Days per week spent at least 1 h outdoor in the past 6 months, median (Q1, Q3)

2 (2–7)

2 (2–4)

2 (2–7)

2 (2–6.25)

7 (2–7)

3 (1–7)

Using sun protection in summer, n (%)

 Never

50 (24.51)

2 (4.44)

13 (18.57)

10 (35.71)

12 (46.15)

13 (37.14)

 Sometimes

78 (38.24)

19 (42.22)

39 (55.71)

9 (32.14)

7 (26.92)

4 (11.43)

 Always

75 (36.74)

24 (53.33)

18 (25.71)

9 (32.14)

7 (26.92)

17 (48.57)

Fish consumption at least once a week, n (%)

151 (74.02)

33 (73.33)

55 (78.57)

21 (75.00)

19 (73.08)

23 (65.71)

Vitamin D supplement intake, n (%)f

77 (37.75)

16 (35.56)

24 (34.29)

15 (53.57)

10 (38.46)

12 (34.29)

  1. a25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL
  2. bMelanin index: Group 1 = values between 16.6–31.9; Group 2 = values between 31.9–37.1; Group 3 = values between 37.1–68.00
  3. cLight skin colour defined as value I to III from the Fitz Patrick scale
  4. dDark skin colour defined as value IV to V from the Fitz Patrick scale
  5. eLevel 1 = Less than compulsory education and Compulsory education; Level 2 = Secondary education; Level 3 = Tertiary education
  6. fAll types of supplements containing vitamin D (multivitamin included)
  7. gInformation missing: BMI before pregnancy (n = 6), current BMI (n = 6), education of partner (n = 2), Days per week spent at least 1 h outdoor in the past 6 months (n = 2), using sun protection in the summer (n = 2), fish consumption (n = 2)
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BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

ISSN: 1471-2393

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