Vitamin D deficiency and calcium intake in reference to increased body mass index in children and adolescents.

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several chronic diseases in adults. Studies focusing on children and adolescents, however, are limited. In this randomized cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its relationship with childhood obesity and dietary calcium intake among a population of healthy urban Saudi children and adolescents. To achieve this, 331 randomly selected Saudi children (53.8% females and 46.2% males) aged 6-17 years were included. Demographic, medical, and dietary information were collected; anthropometrics were measured. Levels of serum fasting glucose, lipid profile, 25(OH) D, and for albumin corrected calcium were analyzed. Vitamin D deficiency was noted in all subjects, with girls having significantly lower vitamin D levels than boys. Mean calcium intake was found to be 60% of the required dietary allowance (RDA), while the mean vitamin D intake was 23% of RDA. Vitamin D status and calcium intake were comparable in both normal and overweight/obese children and adolescents. Vitamin D status was highest among children who had calcium intake >800 mg/day. In adolescents there was insignificant but decreasing trend in BMI, which was observed to be highest among those whose calcium intake was <250 mg/day and lowest among those taking >800 mg/day.

CONCLUSION:

results from this study suggest the importance of vitamin D fortification and increased dietary calcium in the Saudi diet to meet RDA requirements and avoid onset of vitamin D deficiency-related diseases in Saudi children and adolescents.

• Authors: Sara Al-Musharaf, Abdulaziz Al-Othman, Nasser M Al-Daghri, Soundararajan Krishnaswamy, Deqa S Yusuf, Khalid M Alkharfy, Yousef Al-Saleh, Omar S Al-Attas, Majed S Alokail, Osama Moharram, Sobhy Yakout, Shaun Sabico, George P Chrousos
• Journal: European journal of pediatrics (Eur J Pediatr) Vol. 171 Issue 7 Pg. 1081-6 (Jul 2012) ISSN: 1432-1076 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 22311168 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Calcium, Dietary
• Vitamin D
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D
• Calcium

Topics

• Adolescent
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Body Mass Index
• Calcium (blood)
• Calcium, Dietary
• Child
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Diet Surveys
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Obesity (blood, epidemiology, etiology)
• Overweight (blood, epidemiology, etiology)
• Saudi Arabia (epidemiology)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Vitamin D (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Vitamin D Deficiency (blood, complications, diagnosis, epidemiology)