Associations between Vitamin D Deficiency/Insufficiency and Depression Expose Health Disparities in Older Rural West Texans: A Project FRONTIER Study

•What is the primary question addressed in this study?Using the 30-question Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), we tested the hypothesis that Vitamin D (VD) status was associated with self-reported depressive symptoms in a multiethnic aging sample in rural West Texas.•What is the main finding of this study?A significant negative association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D levels and depressive symptoms was revealed, spanning both Dysphoria and Meaninglessness GDS subfactors. Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (HLE) populations were overrepresented in VD deficiency (VDD) and VD insufficiency (VDI) categories, and less likely to use VD supplements compared to non-HLE populations.•What is the meaning of the finding?Based on widespread VDD/VDI in our HLE sample, use of VD supplementation at high sufficient doses is predicted to reduce depressive symptoms. A subset of GDS Dysphoria questions were highly sensitive to VD status, providing important knowledge for VD screening in the clinic.