The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2016 , Vol 58 , Num 6
Increasing vitamin D deficiency in children from 1995 to 2011
1 Departments of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Gyeongsang Institute of Health Science, Jinju, Korea2 Departments of Pharmacology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Gyeongsang Institute of Health Science, Jinju, Korea
3 Departments of Otolaryngology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Gyeongsang Institute of Health Science, Jinju, Korea
4 College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea DOI : 10.24953/turkjped.2016.06.007 Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and vitamin D deficiency have changed over time in Korean children. This study assessed serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children. Serum samples were obtained during 1995 to 2011, and 25(OH)D3 concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Tests of 948 serum samples showed that median 25(OH)D3 concentrations decreased significantly (P<0.001), and the rates of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency increased significantly (P<0.001), over 15 years. Median serum 25(OH)D3 was significantly higher in males than in females in 2005–2006 and 2010–2011 (P<0.001), whereas the rates of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency were higher in subjects aged 11–15 years than in the other two age groups after the year 2000. These increases over time in vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency may be due to the changing lifestyles of children. Outdoor physical activity should be strongly encouraged. Keywords : vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency, children, adolescent