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Objetive. To evaluate the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) levels in healthy children under 10 years of the Barranquilla metropolitan area. Materials and methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study in which serum levels of 25-OH-D were analyzed in 360 healthy children from 2014 to 2015. Results. The median value of 25-OH-D serum level was 32.23±8.56 ng/mL; 46.38% of children had vitamin D levels in the insufficient range (<30 ng/mL), while 3.05% were deficient (<20 ng/mL). Soledad and Puerto Colombia were the municipalities with more population in this condition. Conclusions. It is necessary to promote vitamin D supplement consumption and healthy lifestyles in order to safely improve levels of this micronutrient in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the vitamin D status and its relationship with metabolic syndrome (MS) risk factors in a group of Spanish schoolchildren. Material and methods: A group of 314 Spanish schoolchildren (8-13 years old) from A Coruña, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Valencia were studied. Anthropometric data on weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, and triceps skinfold, as well as blood pressure data were collected. Serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, HDL-c and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25 (OH) D) were assessed. Following Cook criterion, the following MS risk factors were defined: glucose ≥100 mg/dL; ≥P90 waist circumference; triglycerides> P90, HDL ≤P10; and sistolic and/or diastolic blood pressure > P90. Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D were 23.0±8.6 ng/mL. Forty seven percent of children had hypovitaminosis (20- 30 ng/mL) and 35% had vitamin deficiency (<20 ng/mL). Compared to the first tertile, children in the second tertile have a lower risk of elevated triglycerides (OR = 0.50 [CI = 0.25 to 0.99]; those in the the third tertile had lower risk of high blood pressure and triglycerides (0.60 [CI = 0.42 -0.86] and 0.50 [CI = 0.32 to 0.79], respectively). Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in this group of Spanish schoolchildren. Low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of elevated triglycerides and blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D can play an important role in maintaining bone health and in the prevention of some diseases. Few foods are a natural source of vitamin D and these are not normally consumed, being the most common oily fish and yolk. Aim: To analyze the intake and sources of vitamin D in schoolchildren aged 7-16 years. Methods: A representative sample of the Spanish population aged 7-16 years (n = 1,976) selected from ten Spanish provinces was studied. Dietary data were obtained by using a 3-day food record. The body weight and height were measured. Results and discussion: Mean vitamin D intake (1.63 (0.96-3.35) μg/day) was lower than the recommended intake (RI) in 85.4% of study participants and it was influenced by age (OR = 0.935; IC: 0.889-0.983; p < 0.01). The main sources of vitamin D were eggs (27.7%), followed by cereals (25.8%), fish (20.9%) and dairy products (12.7%). Additionally, it has been found that vitamin D RI can be adequately covered the greater the consumption of fish is (r = 0.734; p < 0.001). Thereby, an increase of one fish serving decreased a 72.5% the odds of not covering vitamin D RI. Conclusions: Vitamin D intake is lower than the recommended intake in a high percentage of the participants. Having into account that the contribution of vitamin D is mainly determined by fish, an increase in the consumption of this food group would be desirable. Young children merit special attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vitamin D is essential for the prevention of several chronic diseases. Although it can be synthesized at skin, this source is not always sufficient to meet their needs and the consumption of foods rich in it, such as egg, could be very beneficial in individuals who are at risk of deficiency. Objective: To study the relationship between vitamin D status and daily consumption of eggs in a group of schoolchildren. Methodology: A total of 564 school children between 9-12 years of the Community of Madrid were included. Food consumption and energy and nutrients intake (including eggs and vitamin D), were determined using a food intake record for 3 days. Body weight and height were measured and body mass index calculated. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein, triglycerides and serum vitamin D were analyzed. Results: The mean consumption of eggs was 32.7 ± 20.9 g/day (less than 0.5 egg/day recommended in the 3,63% of the schoolchildren). Schoolchildren were divided according to their consumption of eggs: ≥ 0.5 egg/day or < 0.5 egg/day (SH and IH groups, respectively). Vitamin D intake and serum levels were significantly higher in the SH group than in the IH. In addition, the former had lower risk of moderate vitamin D deficiency (< 50 nmol/L) (OR = 0.41 (0.19 to 0.88), P = 0.022). No significant differences between groups in relation to total cholesterol and triglycerides were observed. Conclusion: It is necessary to promote the consumption of at least 0.5 egg/day among children because of their high amount of vitamin D, which could prevent health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Different studies have observed deficiencies in vitamin D in a high percentage of schoolchildren, highlighting the importance of this problem in sunny populations, such as Spain, where this situation is frequently underestimated. Aim: To assess the adequacy of vitamin D intake and to find out the food sources of the vitamin in a representative sample of Spanish schoolchildren. Methods: A sample of 903 children (7 to 11 years) was studied. Ten Spanish cities were selected to be a representative sample of the Spanish schoolchildren population. Dietetic study was carried out using a three-day food record, including a Sunday. Vitamin D was compared to that recommended (RI) and energy intake was compared with energy expenditure estimated by measuring physical activity level. Weight and height were recorded and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results and discussion: Vitamin D intake (2.49±0.64 µg/day) allowed cover only 49.7% of the RI of the children. It was below of 100% of RI in 99.9% of the children, and in 78.7% it was below of 67% of RI. The vitamin intake was lower in girls, those younger than 7 years and in children with obesity than in boys, those older than 7 years and in children with normal weight. The main sources of the vitamin were eggs (28.12%), cereals (24.23 %), fish (20.06 %) and milk (14.42 % ). Conclusion: Vitamin D intake is inadequate in Spanish schoolchildren between 7 and 11 years. Taking into account that the consumption of foods which are the main source of vitamin D (fish, eggs, cereals, dairy products) is often lower than the recommended, approximating the diet to the theoretical ideal could help to improve the contribution of the vitamin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]