What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate how latitude, settlement type, age, and sex influenced the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency diseases across the Roman Empire.

August 21, 2018American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Latitude, urbanization, age, and sex as risk factors for vitamin D deficiency disease in the Roman Empire

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To investigate how latitude, settlement type, age, and sex influenced the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency diseases across the Roman Empire.
Analyzed skeletal remains of 2,787 individuals (1,143 subadults and 1,644 adults) from 18 cemeteries across 15 Mediterranean and north-western European settlements dating from the 1st to 6th centuries AD.
Diagnosed rickets and osteomalacia using standard paleopathological criteria and evaluated demographic and environmental risk factors using multivariate statistical analysis.
Overall prevalence of rickets was 5.7% in subadults (<20 years), while 3.2% of adults exhibited osteomalacia or residual rickets.
Subadult rickets, especially among infants, was positively associated with higher geographic latitude, while overall prevalence showed no general association with sex or broad settlement type.
An elevated prevalence of rickets occurred in the densely populated settlement of Ostia, Italy, where multi-storey apartment blocks restricted direct sunlight.

Authors

SMSimon MaysHistoric England TPTracy ProwseUniversity of Primorska MGMatthieu GeorgeCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Implication

Paleopathological study demonstrates latitude and dense urbanization increased vitamin D deficiency in the Roman Empire, suggesting sunlight deprivation drove rickets.

Cite This Study

Mays et al. (2018) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a829488a139900360239e01 https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23646

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Implication

Paleopathological study demonstrates latitude and dense urbanization increased vitamin D deficiency in the Roman Empire, suggesting sunlight deprivation drove rickets.

Latitude, urbanization, age, and sex as risk factors for vitamin D deficiency disease in the Roman Empire

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Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Latitude, urbanization, age, and sex as risk factors for vitamin D deficiency disease in the Roman Empire

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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