{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T02:37:40Z","timestamp":1778812660550,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,25]],"date-time":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1714003200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":24,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,14]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To identify differences in the mean vitamin D concentrations in samples obtained from a private laboratory in Quito and to explore their relationship with the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods spanning from 2018 to 2022.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A combination of an interrupted time series design and a retrospective cross-sectional approach.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting and participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study involved 9285 participants who had their 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels tested at a well-known private laboratory in Quito, Ecuador, from 2018 to 2022.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Primary and secondary outcome measures<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The 25(OH)D levels were analysed and assessed for correlations with age, and the year the measurements were taken.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The mean 25(OH)D level was 27.53 ng\/mL (\u00b1 14.11). Approximately 68.8% of participants had serum 25(OH)D levels of less than 30 ng\/mL, and 0.6% showed potential harm from excess 25(OH)D, with levels over 100 ng\/mL. The analysis indicated a significant monthly increase of 0.133 units in 25(OH)D levels (p=0.006). However, the period after March 2020, compared with before, saw a non-significant decrease of 1.605 units in mean 25(OH)D levels (p=0.477).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study\u2019s findings indicate a significant prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency, underscoring the necessity for preventative measures. However, the increasing trend in high 25(OH)D levels is concerning, emphasising the importance of prudent vitamin D supplement prescriptions and public education against self-medication. For efficient resource allocation and targeting of those with higher risks, it may be advantageous to concentrate vitamin D testing on specific population groups.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2023-079960","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]],"date-time":"2024-04-26T02:16:17Z","timestamp":1714097777000},"page":"e079960","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Evaluating low and high vitamin D levels in Ecuadorian cities from 2018 to 2022: interrupted time series and a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Camilo","family":"Zurita-Salinas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Research Unit, Zurita & Zurita Laboratories, Quito, Ecuador"},{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias M\u00e9dicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5890-6436","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Betzab\u00e9","family":"Tello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n para la Salud en Am\u00e9rica Latina (CISeAL), Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6639-727X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iv\u00e1n","family":"Due\u00f1as-Esp\u00edn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Salud P\u00fablica, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jeannete","family":"Zurita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Research Unit, Zurita & Zurita Laboratories, Quito, Ecuador"},{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"William","family":"Acosta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristina Aguilera","family":"Le\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Research Unit, Zurita & Zurita Laboratories, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9s","family":"Andrade-Mu\u00f1oz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Pareja-Maldonado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121515090983000_14.4.e079960.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00223-019-00559-4"},{"key":"2025121515090983000_14.4.e079960.2","unstructured":"Melmed S , Auchus R , Goldfi A , et al . 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