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Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration with anthropometric measures in children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-V study

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Abstract

Background

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations reflect vitamin D status, with deficiency implicated as an underlying factor for many adverse health effects. This study aims to analyze the association between vitamin D status and different anthropometric measures in a large pediatric population.

Methods

This nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 in blood samples obtained from school students of 30 provinces in Iran. Participants were 2596 children and adolescents aged 7–18 years. Weight, height, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), neck circumference (NC), and wrist circumference (WrC) were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (W/HtR) were calculated. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Results

Participants consisted of 55% boys, 71.3% urban inhabitants, with a mean (SD) age of 12.1 (3.0) years. Overall, vitamin D deficiency was documented in 10.6% of participants, insufficiency in 60.4%, and sufficiency in 29% of the population studied. The mean of BMI and WC was higher in the vitamin D deficient than in the vitamin D sufficient group (19.31 kg/m2 and 69.24 cm vs. 18.34 kg/m2 and 65.73 cm, respectively, P < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression models revealed a significant association of vitamin D insufficiency with WC and W/HtR (P < 0.05). Likewise, in the multivariate regression models, vitamin D deficiency was associated with BMI, WC, and W/HtR (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings on the inverse association between vitamin D status and some anthropometric measures underscore the importance of providing vitamin D by fortification and supplementation programs of vitamin D for the pediatric population.

Level of evidence

V.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This project was conducted as part of a national school-based surveillance program and was funded by the National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), approved with Code: 962514. The authors are thankful of the large team working on this national project and all participants who cooperated with this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Maryam Bemanalizadeh, Motahar Heidari-Beni, Majid Khademian & Roya Kelishadi

  2. Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed

  3. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed

  4. Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ramin Heshmat

  5. Centre of Maritime Health and Society, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark

    Fereshteh Baygi

  6. Student Research Committee, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Ehsan Seif

  7. Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Armita Mahdavi-Gorab

  8. Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Kasaeian

  9. Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Kasaeian

  10. Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    Mostafa Qorbani

  11. Department of Epidemiology, Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mostafa Qorbani

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  1. Maryam Bemanalizadeh
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  2. Motahar Heidari-Beni
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Correspondence to Mostafa Qorbani or Roya Kelishadi.

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Bemanalizadeh, M., Heidari-Beni, M., Ejtahed, HS. et al. Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration with anthropometric measures in children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-V study. Eat Weight Disord 26, 2219–2226 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01067-3

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