Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with race/ethnicity and constitutive skin color in urban schoolchildren

The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which constitutive skin color explains racial/ethnic differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations in urban schoolchildren. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine associations of 25OHD with parent-reported race/ethnicity and constitutive skin color as measured by reflectance colorimeter [individual typology angle (ITA°; higher value corresponds to lighter skin)] in 307 Greater Boston schoolchildren aged 9–15 during October–December 2011. Nearly 60% of all children were inadequate in 25OHD (