Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a lack of information regarding this deficiency in preschool children from southeastern Europe. This study aimed to establish the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associations of gender, time spent outdoors, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (as predictors) with the 25(OH)D level (outcome) in healthy preschool children. The participants were preschoolers (all 5–6 years of age) from southern Croatia. All the participants were tested during their mandatory medical examination 6–7 months prior to school enrollment. The PA was obtained using the preschool-age physical activity questionnaire (Pre-PAQ), which categorizes PA into five levels (from sedentary to vigorous PA). The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was high: 58% of the children had 25(OH)D levels of <50 nmol/L (deficiency), and an additional 29% had an insufficient level of 25(OH)D (50–75 nmol/L). Boys had higher levels of 25(OH)D than girls. A multinomial regression using 25(OH)D categories as the outcome and a sufficient level (>75 nmol/L) as the reference value identified gender as the only significant predictor of 25(OH)D status, with boys being at lower risk for 25(OH)D deficiency than girls. These results showed a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in preschoolers from the southern part of Croatia, which is additionally alarming based on the geographical position of the studied region (42° N) and its high number of sunshine hours (>2600 h per year). Future studies examining other potential correlates of 25(OH)D in the region are warranted.
Highlights
Vitamin D is mostly known as a crucial factor in bone health but is related to hypertension, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and even cancer [1,2,3]
These results showed a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in preschoolers from the southern part of Croatia, which is alarming based on the geographical position of the studied region (42◦ N) and its high number of sunshine hours (>2600 h per year)
The vitamin D status is based on the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and studies have provided evidence showing that 25(OH)D deficiency differs across regions of the world [4,5,6,7]
Summary
Vitamin D is mostly known as a crucial factor in bone health but is related to hypertension, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and even cancer [1,2,3]. The vitamin D status is based on the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and studies have provided evidence showing that 25(OH)D deficiency differs across regions of the world [4,5,6,7]. Deficiency of 25(OH)D is important in children [8]. It was originally hypothesized that children were not at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to their dietary intake and outdoor activities, more. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2503; doi:10.3390/ijerph15112503 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
