Vitamin D levels among children, adolescents, adults, and elders in Pakistani population: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Vitamin D is not only an essential part of a healthy diet but it is also known as the sunshine hormone. It helps to absorb calcium and phosphate within the body and is essential for the development of teeth and bones in growing children. Deficiency in vitamin D causes weak bones, osteoporosis in older individuals, and osteomalacia in children. It also causes loss of alveolar bone around the teeth, increased dental cavities, and other problems associated with gum disease. It can cause depression, fatigue, and appetite loss. This study aims to observe vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency among children, adults, adolescents, and elders in the Pakistani population. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 27,880 individuals referred from the general out-patient-department (OPD) to Dow Diagnostic Research and Reference Laboratory (DDRRL) units at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Karachi, Pakistan, for a period of three months from January to March 2017. They were examined for laboratory findings of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels to determine vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency among all age groups of both male and female genders. Results A total of 26,750 individuals with a mean age of 38 ± 18 years were statistically examined for laboratory findings of serum vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 56% of individuals with a mean log of 1.01 ± 0.18 ng/ml serum vitamin D levels, vitamin D insufficiency in 20% of individuals with a mean log of 1.38 ± 0.05 ng/ml serum vitamin D levels and vitamin D sufficiency in 24% individuals with a mean log of 1.63 ± 0.12 ng/ml serum vitamin D levels. The highest percentage of individuals deficient in vitamin D were children and adolescents of age ranging between 6 to 18 years. Conclusion The findings of vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents direct higher authorities in the public health sector to take immediate steps to screen, intervene and educate high-risk populations incorporating vitamin D supplements to establish preventive and therapeutic measures.

Serum Vitamin D levels of children attending pediatric clinic at HMC IBP.

“…A study conducted in china showed highest low levels of vitamin D deficiency in (31.1%) 1-3 years children in comparison to (18.5%) 6-12 years children. 14 This study further highlighted that vitamin D deficiency mostly occurred in winter months (October -March) 51.0% as compared to summer (April -September) 47%. The optimum levels 40ng/ml-100ng/ml of vitamin D were reported in 53% of children in summer while in winter only 39.0% showed optimum levels of vitamin D. The study conducted in Karachi Pakistan on vitamin D status in children in different seasons showed high percentages than this study.…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency in Children and Adolescents in the Kingdom of Bahrain

“…Phosphate categories: Low < 0.95–1.65 < High. BMI was calculated according to the WHO BMI-for-age boys’, and BMI-for-age girls’ growth charts [ 16 ].…”

“…Thus, the low levels of magnesium results in low serum levels of vitamin D [ 14 ]. In the Middle East, many studies have been carried out to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its risk factors among children and adolescents [ 15 , 16 , 17 ] and only one study conducted among Bahraini children and adolescents [ 3 ]. Therefore, vitamin D status in children and adolescents should be excessively investigated due to the impact of vitamin D on their growth and development as well as prevention of other short- and long-term negative clinical consequences associated with vitamin D deficiency such as rickets, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic musculoskeletal pain and various cancers [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Evaluation of the deficiency status of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and associated factors in Southwest China: A hospital‐based retrospective cross‐sectional analysis of a low‐latitude, high‐altitude, multiracial region

“…Furthermore, in the United States and Canada, vitamin D deficiency status remains common even with the implementation of fortification strategies (G and Gupta, 2014). The results from other countries, such as Switzerland (Rabufetti et al., 2019), Saudi Arabia (Bushnaq et al., 2022), Armenia (Hutchings et al., 2022), India (Ganie et al., 2022), Russia (Smirnova et al., 2022) and Pakistan (Arshad & Zaidi, 2022), also revealed widespread vitamin D deficiency.…”