Vitamin D Status in Montréal Preschoolers Is Satisfactory Despite Low Vitamin D Intake

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 143; no. 2; pp. 154 - 160
• Main Authors: El Hayek, Jessy, Pham, Thu Trang, Finch, Sarah, Hazell, Tom J., Jean-Philippe, Sonia, Vanstone, Catherine A., Agellon, Sherry, Rodd, Celia, Rauch, Frank, Weiler, Hope A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.02.2013; American Society for Nutrition
• Subjects: 25(OH)D; 25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 - blood; Biological and medical sciences; body surface area; BSA; Calcifediol - blood; Calcium - deficiency; Calcium, Dietary - administration & dosage; Canadian Community Health Survey; Canadian Health Measures Survey; CCHS; Child Day Care Centers; Child, Preschool; CHMS; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - adverse effects; Dietary Supplements; EAR; Estimated Average Requirement; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Institute of Medicine; IOM; Male; Nutrition Surveys; Nutritional Status; Prevalence; Quebec - epidemiology; Seasons; Skin - radiation effects; Sunlight; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin D Deficiency - etiology; Quebec; 25(OH)D; BSA; CCHS; CHMS; IOM; EAR; Micronutrient; Nutrition; Vitamin D; Low
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.3945/jn.112.169144

The 2007 to 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey reported vitamin D status in a representative sample of Canadians (6–79 y); however, children <6 y were not assessed. Our objective was to measure vitamin D intake from food and supplements, sun exposure, and biological vitamin D status of children ages 2 through 5 y in Montréal (latitude 45°N). Preschoolers (n = 508) were recruited between June 2010 and 2011 in a random sample of licensed daycares in the regions of greater Montréal, Canada in a cross-sectional study. The total plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration was measured using a chemiluminescence assay (Liaison, Diasorin). Dietary intake was assessed during one 24-h period plus a 30-d FFQ. Socioeconomic, demographic, anthropometry, and sun exposure data were collected. Plasma 25(OH)D was ≥50 nmol/L in 88% of children, whereas 49.4% had concentrations ≥75 nmol/L during the 1-y study. Almost 95% of preschoolers had vitamin D intakes less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), and 4.8% of preschoolers ≤3.9 y and 25.9% of preschoolers ≥4 y had calcium intakes less than the EAR. Plasma 25(OH)D was different across age, income, sun index, milk intake, and dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake tertiles. Despite vitamin D intakes less than the EAR, the vitamin D status of Montréal preschoolers attending daycare is mostly satisfactory even in winter, suggesting that the EAR value is too high in the context of typical exogenous intakes of vitamin D in North America.