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


CONCLUSIONS
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.
College of Science, King Saud University Women's Section, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Sara
S
Al-Musharaf
Abdulaziz
A
Al-Othman
Nasser M
NM
Al-Daghri
Soundararajan
S
Krishnaswamy
Deqa S
DS
Yusuf
Khalid M
KM
Alkharfy
Yousef
Y
Al-Saleh
Omar S
OS
Al-Attas
Majed S
MS
Alokail
Osama
O
Moharram
Sobhy
S
Yakout
Shaun
S
Sabico
George P
GP
Chrousos
D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D002118:Calcium