title: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children in the Northern Territory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency of vitD deficiency/insufficiency in an opportunistic sample of Northern Territory (NT) children. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether: (i) 25(OH)vitD (25(OH)D) levels differ between Indigenous/non-Indigenous children; and (ii) VitD insufficiency is associated with increased acute/infective hospitalisations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five (OH)D levels were measured in 98 children <16 years between August 2011 and January 2012 (children hospitalised acutely/non-acutely and well children from other studies based in Darwin). VitD deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L, and insufficiency was postulated to be <75 nmol/L. Demographic data were collected, and computer records were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age was 59 months (range 2-161); 3.1% were vitD deficient, 19.4% insufficient. There was no significant difference in mean 25(OH)D level between Indigenous (93.2, standard deviation (SD) 21.9, n = 42) and non-Indigenous (97.3, SD 27.9, n = 56) children (P = 0.32). Median number of hospitalisations/year were similar (P = 0.319) between vitD sufficient (0.34, range 0-12, n = 76) and insufficient (0.22, 0-6, n = 22) children. There was no significant difference between number of infective admissions per year between vitD sufficient/insufficient groups (P = 0.119).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with US data (19% deficient, 65% insufficient) fewer NT children are vitD deficient/insufficient. In our limited sample, being vitD insufficient was not associated with increased acute/infective hospitalisations, but a larger unbiased sample of NT children is needed. More information is needed about the optimum level of vitD for non-bone-related health in children.
authors.affiliation: Paediatrics Department, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pizzutto
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacLennan
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: endocrinology; general paediatrics; infectious diseases