title: Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among healthy school-age Cree children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  First Nations children are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency and rickets.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the correlations between fat mass, parathyroid hormone and dietary habits with serum vitamin D level in a random sample of Cree children eight to 14 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels and additional information regarding anthropometrics and dietary habits were obtained from participants in two Cree communities. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D levels <30 nmol/L and <50 nmol/L, respectively. Proportions to estimate the vitamin D status were weighted to account for the complex sampling design, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to estimate the associations of milk and fish intake, parathyroid hormone and fat mass with serum 25(OH)D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 52 healthy Cree children (mean [± SD] age 11.1±2.0 years; 27 boys) were included in the analyses. The median serum 25(OH)D level was 52.4 nmol/L (range 22.1 nmol/L to 102.7 nmol/L). Forty-three percent (95% CI 29% to 58%) and 81% (95% CI 70% to 92%) of Cree children had vitamin D levels <50 nmol/L and <75 nmol/L, respectively. Vitamin D intake was positively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels. Obese children had lower vitamin D levels; however, the difference was nonsignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There may be a substantial proportion of Cree children who are vitamin D deficient. Increasing age, lower dietary vitamin D intake and, possibly, higher body mass index were associated with decreased vitamin D levels; however, causality cannot be inferred.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City;
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riverin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City; ; Public Health Research Unit of the Laval University Medical Center, Quebec City;
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dewailly
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Unit of the Laval University Medical Center, Quebec City;
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Center for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Ste Anne De Bellevue;
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson-Down
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Center, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Montreal;
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City; ; St-François d'Assise Hospital Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Quebec City, Quebec.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodin
keywords: Aboriginal health; Population Groups; Prevalence; Vitamin D