The Reality about Vitamin D in an Adolescent Population

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D is essential for bone formation and the adolescence period is essential to ensure bone health throughout adult life. Several other pathologies have been associated with suboptimal vitamin D levels. Several studies around the globe have shown a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, however doubts remain about which cut-off values should be used when assessing their serum levels.
METHODOLOGY: With this study we intend to evaluate the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in an adolescent population and relate these values with several relevant variables: demographic characterization, anthropometric data, phototype, pubertal development stage, variables related to lifestyle habits that can interfere with status vitamin D, namely, type of diet, sun exposure, use of sunscreen, use of hat, means of transport to and from school, sports and associated diseases.
RESULTS: We obtained a sample of 320 adolescents, vitamin D values varied between 6.4 and 61.4 ng/mL, with an average of 26.4 ± 8.5 ng/mL and were considered excellent in 30.3% of the patients, dosages, insufficient in 49.1% and deficient in 20.6% of the dosages.
CONCLUSION: We were able to demonstrate that female gender and phototypes IV and V are risk factors for values lower than recommended and the practice of physical activity outdoors is a protective factor. The high prevalence of insufficiency and deficiency reinforces the need for further studies on the ideal cut-off for this vitamin.