Vitamin D status in a sample of preschool children aged from 1 to 6 years visiting the pediatrics clinic at Jordan university hospital

ABSTRACT

Vitamin D status was investigated in 200 children [100 males and 100 females] visiting the Pediatrics Clinic at Jordan University Hospital. Subjects were categorized into two age groups 1-3 years [toddlers] and 3-6 years [preschool children]. Data were collected on children's lifestyle factors, dietary intake, height, weight and BMI. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[3] [25 [OH] D[3]] concentration was determined. 16.5% of the children had vitamin D deficiency [serum 25 [OH] D3 ? 15 ng/mL], while 15.5% had vitamin D insufficiency [serum 25 [OH] D[3] from 15 to 20 ng/mL]. Serum 25 [OH] D[3] levels for the toddlers [26.25 +/- 1.16] were significantly higher [P<0.05] than those of the preschool children [21.49 +/- 1.16]. Serum 25 [OH] D[3] was significantly higher [P<0.05] for exclusively formula-fed children [27.42 +/- 0.86] or children with mixed feeding [26.69 +/- 0.92] than for those who were exclusively breast-fed [17.02 +/- 0.90]. Also, serum 25 [OH] D[3] levels were positively correlated with the duration of formula feeding [r = 0.4849, P<0.0001], duration of outdoor physical activity [r = 0.3940, P<0.0001], monthly frequency of outdoor physical activity [r = 0.61087, P<0.0001], and vitamin D [r = 0.4678, p<0.0001] and calcium [r =0.4951, p<0.0001] intakes. However, serum 25 [OH] D[3] levels were negatively correlated with duration of breast feeding [r = -0.3554, P<0.0001] and BMI [r = -0.4235; P<0.0001]. It is concluded that hypovitaminosis D is common in preschool children and that lifestyle conditions influence vitamin D status