Is sunlight nowadays enough foR a sufficient vitamin D status in children and adolescents? A survey in a SUNNY region of Southern Italy
Irene Rutigliano Nutrition Available online 5 December 2020,
Highlights
• Vitamin D deficiency has been described as pandemic.
• More than 80% of a pediatric population living in a sunny region had vitamin D below the cut-off levels of sufficiency.
• High prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency is recorded even during summer.
Objective
Involved in calcium homeostasis and bone health, vitamin D is a prohormone with several extra-bone implications. Hypovitaminosis D is considered pandemic all-around the world with important consequences on human's health. The aim of our study was to evaluate vitamin D levels in children living in a southern region of Italy with high exposure to sunlight for at least 5 months a year and factors influencing it.
Methods
1484 children and adolescents (age 0.02-17.74 years) living in Apulia region (Southern Italy) were studied. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were assessed and vitamin status defined as follows: deficiency with serum 25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml, insufficiency between 20-29.9 ng/ml, sufficiency with serum 25(OH)D between 30-100 ng/ml.
Results
The median serum 25(OH)D levels were 20.2 ng / ml (IQR 14.5-26.4 ng / ml): 48.9% of overall population had 25OHD <20 ng/ml and only 15% had sufficient 25(OH)D values. There was an inverse association between blood levels of 25(OH)D and age (p <0.001, rho: - 0.113). Significant 25(OD)D variations were recorded according to season in which blood samples were drawn, but even during summer only 32.6% of analysed children had sufficient 25(OH)D levels.
Conclusions
More than 80% of our population had 25(OH)D below the cut-off levels of sufficiency Results highlight a high prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency in our area, even during summer. It's important to establish screening, supplementation guidelines and pediatric cut-off levels to optimize vitamin D status in children, taking into account age, nutritional status and seasonality.