Sumi Lee1, Hi Won Choi2, Woo Kyung Bae1, Eun Young Shin3

1 Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea 2 Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea 3 Department of Public Health and Medical Service, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea


Background: The relationship between serum vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms has not been con- sistent in previous studies in Korean women. Menopause is known to be related to depression and vitamin D.
Methods: This study included 11,573 women from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Serum vitamin D levels were divided into four groups according to quartiles, and depressive symptoms were collected into two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted in each group of women be- fore and after menopause.
Results: Compared with the highest vitamin D group, the lowest vitamin D group did not show significant differ- ences in all females (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.22). In premenopausal women, compared to the first quartile, ORs were presented in the second quartile (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.53-1.07), third quartile (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-1.00) and fourth quartile (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43-0.92) respectively, and they were statistically significant (P=0.016). In postmenopausal women, compared to the first quartile, ORs were presented in the second quartile (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.78- 1.44), third quartile (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.87-1.61), and fourth quartile (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.98-1.66) respectively; however, they were not statistically significant (P=0.057).
Conclusions: Depression symptoms increased with a decrease in serum vitamin D in premenopausal women, but the opposite trend was observed in postmenopausal women. In future studies, if the relationship between blood vitamin D and depression is studied, the menopausal status of women can be used as an important criterion.
Korean J Health Promot 2023;23(1):18-27

Keywords: Vitamin D, Depression, Menopause, Women