Association of vitamin D status with socio-demographic characteristics among a sample of prepubescent Egyptian girls

Abstract EN

Background: In addition to its crucial role in maintaining bone and calcium homeostasis, vitamin D is both a vitamin and a steroid hormone that plays vital extra- skeletal functions.

Nowadays vitamin (D) became an imperative issue due to its relation to COVID- 19 virus.

Objective: To define the effect of some socio- demographic characteristics on Vitamin D status among a sample of prepubescent girls.

Methodology: Ninety prepubertal girls (6- 10) years recruited from the clinic of Management of visceral obesity and growth disturbance in the Medical Research Centre of Excellence (MRCE) in the National Research Centre (NRC) during the period from March to May/2019.

A questionnaire was taken to obtain informations about age, residence, family size, child order, paternal education and sports practice as well as infantile history (fetal age, birth weight and age of weaning).

Thorough clinical examination to exclude chronic diseases was done.

Serum samples were collected for 25- hydroxy vitamin D (25- OHD) assessment; participants were then subdivided according to vitamin D level into normal vitamin D and vitamin D deficient groups.

Results: The mean age was (9.24± 1.09 and 9.09± 1.33) with vitamin D mean levels (56.53± 21.07 and 17.20± 5.19) in normal vitamin D and vitamin D deficient groups respectively with high significant differences (p 0.000).

As regards number of siblings, there was a significant statistical difference as girls having more than 3 siblings have higher percentages of vitamin D deficiency (28.3%) in comparison to (8.1%) with normal vitamin D level (p 0.028).

Also, vitamin D deficiency is more in girls of 4th child order but with no significant statistical differences.

As regards sports practice, both groups have significant lower percentages of practicing sports (13.5% and 34% respectively) in normal and vitamin D deficient groups respectively (p 0.029).

Conclusion: Increasing family size and child order inversely proportionate to vitamin D status in prepubescent girls.