title: Vitamin D intake and serum vitamin D in ethnically diverse urban schoolchildren.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low serum vitamin D, which largely affects ethnic minorities, is associated with obesity and other chronic diseases. Little is known about racial/ethnic differences in intake, particularly in children, or if any differences are associated with differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). The objective of the present study was to determine whether racial/ethnic differences in dietary vitamin D intake exist and whether they explain differences in 25(OH)D.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vitamin D intakes (Block Kids 2004 FFQ) and 25(OH)D were measured. Race/ethnicity was parent-reported (white (37·9 %), Hispanic (32·4 %), black (8·3 %), Asian (10·3 %), multi-racial/other (11·0 %)). Multivariable analyses were conducted to examine the associations among dietary vitamin D and race/ethnicity, as well as 25(OH)D, independent of BMI Z-score and other covariates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elementary/middle schools in Somerville, MA, USA, during January-April 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schoolchildren (n 145) in 4th-8th grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 2·1 % met the 2011 RDA (15 μg/d (600 IU/d)). Average dietary intake was 3.5 (sd 2.2) μg/d (140 (sd 89·0) IU/d). No racial/ethnic differences in intake were evident. Most (83·4 %) were 25(OH)D deficient (<20 ng/ml; 16·0 (sd 6·5) ng/ml). In ANOVA post hoc analyses, 25(OH)D levels were lower in Hispanics than whites (14·6 (sd 6·1) ng/ml v. 17·9 (sd 4·6) ng/ml; P < 0·01). Dietary vitamin D was associated with 25(OH)D overall (P < 0·05), but did not explain the racial/ethnic differences in 25(OH)D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most children in this north-east US sample did not meet dietary recommendations for vitamin D and were vitamin D deficient. Dietary vitamin D did not explain the difference in 25(OH)D between Hispanic and white children. Further research is needed to determine if changes in dietary vitamin D by race/ethnicity can impact 25(OH)D levels.
authors.affiliation: Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. lauren.au@tufts.edu
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: Christina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Economos
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Aviva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Must
authors.forename: Virginia R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Chomitz
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sacheck
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000208:ethnology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D044469:Racial Groups; D014505:Urban Population; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D