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High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in young adolescents in Korea

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Abstract

Recent studies suggest that vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is not only a problem of older generations anymore but also an important health concern among younger generations. However, comprehensive data are lacking in Korean adolescents. We investigated the vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D]) status, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, and the association between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance and lipid profiles in a sample of 188 Korean adolescents aged 12–13 years who participated in a general health check-up at a tertiary hospital. Vitamin D deficiency was considered as serum concentrations <20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L); a level of 21–29 ng/mL (52–72 nmol/L) was considered to indicate vitamin D insufficiency, whereas a level of 30 ng/mL or greater (>75 nmol/L) was considered sufficient or optimum. In this cross-sectional study, vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency was found in 98.9 % of boys and 100 % of girls, whereas only 1.1 % of boys and 0 % of girls had a serum 25(OH)D level of greater than 30 ng/mL. In multivariate linear regression analysis, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol were inversely associated with 25(OH)D concentrations. We found that vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is a very common health problem in Korean adolescents, particularly in girls, and that serum 25(OH)D levels are inversely associated with insulin resistance and lipid profiles. These results suggest that more time spent in outdoor activity for sunlight exposure and higher vitamin D intake may be needed in younger adolescents in South Korea.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Jong-Seok Kim for his help in editing the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, CHA University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Youn Ho Shin, Ki Eun Kim & Choae Lee

  2. Department of Pediatrics, The National Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

    Hye Jung Shin

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, CHA University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Myung Suh Kang

  4. Department of Family Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 225 Geumhakno, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

    Hye-Ree Lee & Yong-Jae Lee

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  1. Youn Ho Shin
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  2. Ki Eun Kim
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  3. Choae Lee
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  4. Hye Jung Shin
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Correspondence to Yong-Jae Lee.

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Youn Ho Shin and Ki Eun Kim contributed equally to this work.

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Shin, Y.H., Kim, K.E., Lee, C. et al. High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in young adolescents in Korea. Eur J Pediatr 171, 1475–1480 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1746-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1746-0

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