Health Care : Current Reviews

Hypo-vitaminosis D in healthy toddlers and preschool children from Western Saudi Arabia

4^th Global Summit on Healthcare

November 09-10, 2015 Dubai, UAE

Firas Azzeh

Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in Saudi Arabia. No sufficient data are available on the vitamin D status of preschool children. Aims: To investigate the vitamin D status among toddlers and pre-school children and to evaluate the factors associated with hypo-vitaminosis D in Western Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 503 pre-school children visiting the pediatrics clinic at Al-Noor and Al-Salam Hospitals in Makkah. The children were divided into two age group categories: 1-3 years (toddlers) and 3-6 years (preschool). Socio-demographic factors, life-style factors, eating habits and body mass index (BMI), as well as 25-(OH)-vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone, calcium, phosphorous and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were determined. Results: Sixty-three percent of children had vitamin-D deficiency. Vitamin-D in the toddlers was significantly higher than in the pre-school children. Vitamin-D levels showed a significant negative correlation with BMI (r=-0.419, P<0.001), and duration of breast-feeding (r= -0.270, P=0.027), but a significant positive correlation with vitamin D intake (r=0.335, P=0.021), calcium intake (r=0.25, P=0.029), duration of formula feeding (r=0.354, P=0.019) and outdoor physical activity (r=0.381, P=0.011). Multivariable predictors of hypo-vitaminosis-D were preschool age (OR=11, [95% CI: 2.78-43.57], P<0.001), outdoor physical inactivity (OR=2.44, [95% CI:0.93-14.12], P<0.001), obesity (OR=2.3, [95% CI:1.25-7.08], P=0.008), overweight (OR=2.16, [95% CI:1.18-6.01], P=0.039), inadequate vitamin D intake (OR=1.65, [95% CI:1.12-2.53], P=0.012), exclusive formula feeding (OR=0.53, [95% CI:0.41-0.72], P<0.001) and breast and formula feeding (OR=0.62 [95% CI:0.39-0.88], P=0.002). Conclusion: Hypovitaminosis D is a public health concern, especially in pre-school children. Possible determinants of the low vitamin D status in pre-school children in the Makkah region could be related to age, high BMI, inadequate vitamin D intake, exclusive breast-feeding and outdoor physical inactivity.

Biography :

Email: fsazzeh@uqu.edu.sa