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Vitamin D deficiency among native Dutch and first- and second-generation non-Western immigrants

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency in a hospital-based population of both native Dutch and non-Western immigrants and to investigate the influence of immigrant status on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 132 patients (1–18 years of age) visiting the paediatric outpatient department. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. Cut-off levels of 30 and 50 nmol/l for serum 25(OH)D were evaluated. One third of the patients had serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 nmol/l, and half of the study population had serum levels below 50 nmol/l. Non-Western immigrants had an increased risk for vitamin D deficiency compared to their native Dutch peers [25(OH)D of <30 nmol/l, p = 0.03, odds ratio (OR) 3.87 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.13–13.29); 25(OH)D of <50 nmol/l, p = 0.02, OR 3.57 (95 % CI 1.26–10.14)] with the highest risk for first-generation non-Western immigrants. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency in the paediatric population is still a matter of concern in the Netherlands, in particular among first-generation non-Western immigrants. We therefore strongly recommend vitamin D supplementation for all non-Western immigrants, regardless of age, skin type or season. Health-care staff who work with non-Western immigrants should be aware of the prevalence and implications of vitamin D deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the patients and their caretakers for their participation in the study. We further would like to thank the Department of Clinical Chemistry of the Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for the vitamin D measurements.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital (SLAZ), Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Minke H. W. Huibers & Bart H. M. Wolf

  2. Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Douwe H. Visser & A. Marceline van Furth

  3. Department of Clinical Chemistry, SLAZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Martine M. L. Deckers

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Natasja M. van Schoor

Authors
  1. Minke H. W. Huibers
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  2. Douwe H. Visser
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  3. Martine M. L. Deckers
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  4. Natasja M. van Schoor
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  5. A. Marceline van Furth
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  6. Bart H. M. Wolf
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douwe H. Visser.

Additional information

Minke H. W. Huibers and Douwe H. Visser contributed equally to this work.

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Huibers, M.H.W., Visser, D.H., Deckers, M.M.L. et al. Vitamin D deficiency among native Dutch and first- and second-generation non-Western immigrants. Eur J Pediatr 173, 583–588 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-2198-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-2198-x

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