Vitamin D intake is low and hypovitaminosis D common in healthy 9- to 15-year-old Finnish girls.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, the effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [S-25(OH)D], and the intakes of vitamin D and calcium in Finnish 9- to 15-year-old athletic and nonathletic girls.


METHODS
1-year follow-up study (February 1997-March 1998) with three months of vitamin D supplementation (10 microg/d) from October to January.


METHODS
Turku University Central Hospital, Finland.


METHODS
191 female volunteers aged 9-15 y (131 athletes and 60 controls).


METHODS
Vitamin D and calcium intakes were estimated by a four-day food recording and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). S-25(OH)D was followed by radioimmunoassay (RIA).


RESULTS
At baseline the mean S-25(OH)D concentration was 33.9 nmol/l among all girls. In winter severe hypovitaminosis D (S-25(OH)D < 20 nmol/l) occurred in 13.4% of the participants and in 67.7% S-25(OH)D was below 37.5 nmol/l. By the next summer the mean S-25(OH)D concentration was 62.9 nmol/l and in 1.6% of the subjects it was below 37.5 nmol/l. The prevalence of severe hypovitaminosis D was not significantly reduced by three months of vitamin D (10 microg/d) supplementation. At baseline, the mean intake of vitamin D was 2.9 microg/d by food recording and 4.3 microg/d by FFQ. The mean calcium intake was 1256 mg/d and 1580 mg/d, respectively. The intakes of vitamin D and calcium remained unchanged during the follow-up period. The athletes consumed more calcium than nonathletic controls, whereas the intake of vitamin D was quite similar among both groups. The vitamin D intake by FFQ correlated with the S-25(OH)D concentration in wintertime (r = 0.28, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Hypovitaminosis D is fairly common in growing Finnish girls in the wintertime, and three months of vitamin D supplementation with 10 microg/d was insufficient in preventing hypovitaminosis D. The daily dietary vitamin D intake was insufficient (< 5 microg/d) in the majority of participants, while the calcium intake was usually sufficient.
Lehtonen-Veromaa
M
M
Paavo Nurmi Centre, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Finland.
Möttönen
T
T
Irjala
K
K
Kärkkäinen
M
M
Lamberg-Allardt
C
C
Hakola
P
P
Viikari
J
J
D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood*; D000293:Adolescent; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D015930:Diet Records; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012621:Seasons; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
D014807:Vitamin D; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002118:Calcium