Vitamin D Status and Analysis of Specific Correlates in Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Croatia

Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a lack of information regarding this deficiency in preschool children from southeastern Europe. This study aimed to establish the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associations of gender, time spen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2018-11, Vol.15 (11), p.2503
Main Authors: Karin, Zeljka, Gilic, Barbara, Supe Domic, Daniela, Sarac, Zdenko, Ercegovic, Katarina, Zenic, Natasa, Uljevic, Ognjen, Peric, Mia, Markic, Josko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Body mass
Body mass index
Body size
Calciferol
Children
Cross-sectional studies
Enrollments
Exercise
Gender
Health care
Investigations
Obesity
Outdoor activities
Physical activity
Physical examinations
Preschool children
Teenagers
Variables
Vitamin D
Vitamin deficiency
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Summary:Vitamin D deficiency is a globally important problem, particularly in children, but there is a lack of information regarding this deficiency in preschool children from southeastern Europe. This study aimed to establish the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and associations of gender, time spent outdoors, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (as predictors) with the 25(OH)D level (outcome) in healthy preschool children. The participants were preschoolers (all 5⁻6 years of age) from southern Croatia. All the participants were tested during their mandatory medical examination 6⁻7 months prior to school enrollment. The PA was obtained using the preschool-age physical activity questionnaire (Pre-PAQ), which categorizes PA into five levels (from sedentary to vigorous PA). The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was high: 58% of the children had 25(OH)D levels of 75 nmol/L) as the reference value identified gender as the only significant predictor of 25(OH)D status, with boys being at lower risk for 25(OH)D deficiency than girls. These results showed a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in preschoolers from the southern part of Croatia, which is additionally alarming based on the geographical position of the studied region (42° N) and its high number of sunshine hours (>2600 h per year). Future studies examining other potential correlates of 25(OH)D in the region are warranted.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph15112503