Abstract
BackgroundFindings of epidemiological studies that investigated the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and abdominal obesity were inconsistent. To evaluate the relationship between blood vitamin D levels and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents, we did a comprehensive review and dose-response meta-analysis.MethodsA comprehensive search in electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Science (ISI), MEDLINE (Pubmed), EMBASE, and Google Scholar was conducted, up to May 2021, for epidemiological studies that investigated the linkage between serum vitamin D levels (as the exposure) and abdominal obesity (as the outcome) in children and adolescents.ResultsCombining 19 effect sizes from 14 cross-sectional studies that included 29,353 apparently healthy children illustrated that the highest vs. lowest level of serum vitamin D was related to a 35% reduced odds of abdominal obesity [odds ratio (OR): 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.84]. Linear dose-response analysis revealed that each 10 ng/ml increase in serum vitamin D levels was related to a 7% decrease in odds of abdominal obesity (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90, 0.95), only among investigations that used percentiles of waist circumference (>75th or 90th) to define the disorder (including 6,868 total subjects and 1,075 cases with abdominal obesity). Increasing serum vitamin D levels from 20 to 40 ng/ml was related to reduce odds of abdominal obesity in children.ConclusionA negative relationship between blood vitamin D levels and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents was discovered in this meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. Among investigations that used waist circumference percentiles to define the disorder, the relationship was in a dose-response manner. To affirm this relationship, more research studies are needed, particularly using a prospective design.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021261319, PROSPERO 2021, identifier: CRD42021261319.
Highlights
The problem of obesity and abdominal obesity affects children and adolescents around the world, both in developed and developing countries [1, 2]
Combining 19 effect sizes from 14 cross-sectional studies that included 29,353 apparently healthy children illustrated that the highest vs. lowest level of serum vitamin D was related to a 35% reduced odds of abdominal obesity [odds ratio (OR): 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.84]
Linear dose-response analysis revealed that each 10 ng/ml increase in serum vitamin D levels was related to a 7% decrease in odds of abdominal obesity (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90, 0.95), only among investigations that used percentiles of waist circumference (>75th or 90th) to define the disorder
Summary
The problem of obesity and abdominal obesity affects children and adolescents around the world, both in developed and developing countries [1, 2]. Considering the high prevalence of abdominal obesity in both the normal-weight and overweight children groups and its strong relation with cardiometabolic risk factors [3], measurement of waist circumference (WC) has become a routine clinical practice to prevent and manage central adiposity-related health risks [4]. Several risk factors such as obesity in both parents, low educational level and smoking habits in parents, high birth weight of infants, physical inactivity [5], and nutrition status [6] are involved in the etiology of abdominal obesity in pediatrics. To evaluate the relationship between blood vitamin D levels and abdominal obesity in children and adolescents, we did a comprehensive review and dose-response meta-analysis
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