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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1466270
This article is part of the Research Topic Nutritional Management of Childhood Obesity and Related Diseases View all 7 articles

The Association of Vitamin D Insufficiency with the Prevalence of Obesity in Children: Implications for Serum Calcium Levels, Alkaline Phosphatase Activity, and Bone Maturation

Provisionally accepted
Yue Xu Yue Xu 1Lingyun Song Lingyun Song 1*Li Zhou Li Zhou 2*
  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, Hainan Hospital of PLA General Hospital, Sanya, China
  • 2 Ling Shui Li Autonomous County People's Hospital, Lingshui, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been identified as a potential risk factor for various adverse health outcomes. However, its specific role in metabolic regulation and skeletal development in school-aged children is not fully understood. This study aimed to explore the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and childhood obesity rates, and its impact on serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase, and bone age in children. Methods: The study analyzed clinical data from 159 school-aged children who underwent medical examinations. Participants were divided into the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) deficiency group and the 25(OH)D3 normal group based on their serum levels. We compared body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), Ca, ALP, bone age, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between the two groups. Logistic regression and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to further investigate relationships between 25(OH)D3 levels and metabolic and bone-related markers. Results: This study showed that the 25(OH)D3 deficiency cohort exhibited significantly higher BMI, TC, TG, and ALP levels, with lower Ca levels and delayed bone age compared to the normal group. Logistic regression analysis identified Ca, ALP, and bone age as significant predictors of 25(OH)D3 deficiency. Subgroup analysis showed that in the 25(OH)D3 deficient group, children with higher BMI had elevated TC, ALP levels, and delayed bone age, while Ca levels were lower. Correlation analysis confirmed the predictive value of these markers for 25(OH)D3 deficiency. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that 25(OH)D3 deficiency is strongly associated with obesity in school-aged children and may negatively affect normal skeletal development. Regular monitoring of 25(OH)D3 levels in school-aged children is essential for ensuring proper growth and development, especially in those at risk for obesity.

    Keywords: Vitamin D, school-aged children, Obesity, bone age, BMI

    Received: 17 Jul 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xu, Song and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Lingyun Song, Department of Pediatrics, Hainan Hospital of PLA General Hospital, Sanya, China
    Li Zhou, Ling Shui Li Autonomous County People's Hospital, Lingshui, 572400, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.