Obesity, lifestyle and socio-economic determinants of vitamin D intake: A population-based study of Canadian children

• Published in: Canadian journal of public health Vol. 105; no. 6; pp. e418 - e424
• Main Authors: Colapinto, Cynthia K., Rossiter, Melissa, Khan, Mohammad K. A., Kirk, Sara F. L., Veugelers, Paul J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Canadian Public Health Association / Association canadienne de santé publique 01.11.2014; Springer International Publishing; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alfacalcidol; Body Mass Index; Calcifediol; Canada; Child; Child nutrition; Children; Children & youth; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Diet Surveys; Evaluation; Exercise; Female; Food; Food intake; Health aspects; Health behavior; Humans; Life Style; Lifestyle; Logistic Models; Male; Measurement; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Milk; Multilevel Analysis; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity; Population studies; Public Health; Quantitative Research; Questionnaires; Recommended Dietary Allowances; Risk reduction; Socioeconomic Factors; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Canada; Canada, Nova Scotia; Canada, Alberta; Vitamin D; apport; children; obésité; comportement en matière de santé; health behaviour; dietary reference intake; apports nutritionnels de référence; vitamine D; intake; enfant; obesity
• ISSN: 0008-4263; 1920-7476; 1920-7476
• DOI: 10.17269/cjph.105.4608

OBJECTIVE:Vitamin D intake in childhood is primarily for the prevention of rickets. Inconsistent evidence has associated adequate blood concentrations with a decreased risk of certain health conditions. Further, obese individuals may have lower vitamin D status. The estimated average requirement (EAR) for children recently doubled to 400 IU/day. Our aim was to examine dietary intake of vitamin D in different body mass index (BMI) categories, in addition to assessing determinants. METHODS:Data from two provincial surveys of grade 5 children, including a food frequency questionnaire and measured BMI, were used. Rao-Scott chi-square statistic tested the bivariate association between provinces and adequate dietary vitamin D intake. Key correlates were examined using multilevel logistic regression. RESULTS:Those below the EAR differed between Alberta (78%) and Nova Scotia (81%). Those drinking <2 glasses of milk/day had 0.02 times the odds of meeting the EAR (95% CI: 0.01–0.02) compared to those drinking more. No significant difference was observed for BMI, though those consuming <1 glass of milk/day were more likely to be obese than those consuming ≥2 glasses/day. Income and physical activity were negatively correlated with meeting the EAR. CONCLUSION:Many children did not meet the EAR for vitamin D from dietary sources and milk consumption was an important determinant. Given trends towards a more sedentary lifestyle and limited sun exposure, we recommend prioritizing public health efforts to support dietary vitamin D intake alongside interventions to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. Further investigation is required to determine the need for targeted strategies for obese children.