title: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among overweight and obese US children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adequate vitamin D is essential for skeletal health in developing children. Although excess body weight is associated with risk of vitamin D deficiency, the national prevalence of and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in overweight and obese children are unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as 25-hydroxyvitamin-D <20 ng/mL) was determined in a sample of 6- to 18-year-old children who were enrolled in a cross-sectional study (the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) in which body weight and height were measured directly. Children were classified as healthy-weight, overweight, obese, or severely obese by using recommended age- and gender-specific BMI-percentile cut points. Associations between BMI-percentile classification and vitamin D deficiency were examined after adjustment for relevant confounders. Sample weights were used to generate nationally representative estimates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy-weight, overweight, obese, and severely obese children was 21% (20%-22%), 29% (27%-31%), 34% (32%-36%), and 49% (45%-53%), respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in severely obese white, Latino, and African-American children was 27% (3%-51%), 52% (36%-68%), and 87% (81%-93%), respectively. Compared with healthy-weight children, overweight, obese, and severely obese children had significantly greater adjusted odds of vitamin D deficiency. Modifiable factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in overweight/obese children were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in overweight and obese children. The particularly high prevalence in severely obese and minority children suggests that targeted screening and treatment guidance is needed.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9063, USA. christy.turer@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Christy B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Turer
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000379:methods; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D