Widespread vitamin D deficiency and its sex-specific association with adiposity in Chinese children and adolescents.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Vitamin D is involved in various physiologic and pathologic processes in the human body. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the association of adiposity indicators with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in Chinese children and adolescents.

METHODS:

This was a population-based, nationwide, multicenter cross-sectional study involving 10 696 participants (51.2% boys) 6 to 18 y of age. Total body fat mass was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and measures of body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), fat mass percentage (FMP), and plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were obtained.

RESULTS:

The adjusted mean of 25(OH)D was 39.3 nmol/L for all participants, 40.7 nmol/L for boys, and 37.9 nmol/L for girls. Of the children, 30% had vitamin D deficiency (25[OH]D <30 nmol/L) and 80% had vitamin D insufficiency (25[OH]D <50 nmol/L). The prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were higher in girls (31%, 83.4%, respectively) than in boys (22.8%, 78.7%, respectively). An L-shape relationship between age and 25(OH)D was observed in all children, with a threshold age of 14 y. Also, there was an inverted U-shaped association of BMI with 25(OH)D, and multivariable linear models shown FMI and FMP were inversely associated with 25(OH)D concentrations, particularly in boys (β = -0.86 and -0.83, respectively, all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Vitamin D deficiency was widespread and its sex-specific association with an excess of body fat in Chinese children and adolescents. The findings indicate that targeted screening and treatment guidelines may be useful.

• Authors: Haibo Li, Tao Huang, Pei Xiao, Xiaoyuan Zhao, Junting Liu, Hong Cheng, Hongbo Dong, Howard A Morris, Jie Mi, China Child and Adolescent Cardiovascular Health (CCACH) Collaboration Group
• Journal: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) (Nutrition) Vol. 71 Pg. 110646 (03 2020) ISSN: 1873-1244 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 31896064 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Vitamin D
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Topics

• Adipose Tissue
• Adiposity (ethnology)
• Adolescent
• Asian People (statistics & numerical data)
• Body Mass Index
• Child
• China (epidemiology)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Nutritional Status
• Prevalence
• Risk Factors
• Sex Factors
• Vitamin D (analogs & derivatives, blood)
• Vitamin D Deficiency (epidemiology, etiology)