Dairy products consumption and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in Saudi children and adults.
Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in several calcium deficiency-related disease conditions. We aimed to investigate vitamin D status and its association with consumption frequencies of various dairy products in Saudi population. Subjects consisted of 820 children (327 boys; mean age 14.9 yrs and 493 girls; 14.8 yrs) and 565 adults (249 men, 27.9 yrs and 316 women 32.2 yrs). We estimated the consumption frequencies of various dairy food products (fresh milk, powdered milk, laban, yoghurt and cheese) using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire and serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D). Associations between variables of interest were assessed by Pearson correlation analysis. Among the study subjects, 80% boys, 90% girls, 64% men and 50% women had deficient/insufficient levels of vitamin D. Modest associations were found between mean serum 25 (OH) D concentration and fresh milk consumption in children (r=0.11) (especially in girls (r=0.12)), and overall dairy products consumption in women (r=0.12).


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicated widespread vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabian children and adults. High level of vitamin D deficiency and a lack of strong correlation between dairy product consumption and serum level of vitamin D imply a need for adequate fortification of milk and other dairy products with vitamin D.
Department of Biochemistry, Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Biochemistry, Biomarkers Research Program, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Nasser M
NM
Al-Daghri
Department of Biochemistry, Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Specialized Diabetes and Endocrine Center, King Fahad Medical City, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh 11525, Saudi Arabia.
Naji
N
Aljohani
Department of Biochemistry, Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Biochemistry, Biomarkers Research Program, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Omar S
OS
Al-Attas
Department of Biochemistry, Biomarkers Research Program, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Soundararajan
S
Krishnaswamy
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Food Science & Agriculture, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Hanan
H
Alfawaz
Department of Clinical Lab Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman
A
Al-Ajlan
Department of Biochemistry, Prince Mutaib Chair for Biomarkers of Osteoporosis, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Department of Biochemistry, Biomarkers Research Program, College of Science, King Saud University Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Majed S
MS
Alokail
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003611:Dairy Products; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D065840:Protective Factors; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
Dairy products; children; saudi; vitamin D deficiency; vitamin D fortification