Received on January 26, 2008
Accepted on May 27, 2008

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Low Vitamin D Status in a Representative Sample of Youth From Québec, Canada

¹ Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montréal
² Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montréal, and Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal
³ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, CHU Sainte.-Justine and Université de Montréal, Montréal
⁴ Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal
⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal
⁶ Department of Nutrition, CHU Sainte.-Justine and Université de Montréal, Montréal
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte.-Justine and Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: marie.lambert{at}umontreal.ca.

BACKGROUND: Adequate vitamin D status is important for bone growth and mineralization and has been implicated in the regulation of autoimmunity, metabolic function, and cancer prevention. There are no reports of population-based studies on the vitamin D status of Canadian youth, a population with mandatory fortification of foods.

METHODS: We measured plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], the best indicator of vitamin D status, in a school-based cross-sectional sample of representative French Canadian youth (n = 1753) ages 9, 13, and 16 years living in Québec (latitude: (45°–48°N). Blood samples were collected from January to May 1999. We defined 25(OH)D deficiency as 27.5 nmol/L, hypovitaminosis as 37.5 nmol/L, and optimal as >75.0 nmol/L.

RESULTS: More than 93% of youth in each age and sex group had suboptimal 25(OH)D concentrations. The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency increased with age in both sexes (P < 0.0001). It was 2%, 3%, and 13% in 9-, 13-, and 16-year-old boys and 2%, 8%, and 10% in 9-, 13-, and 16-year-old girls. Girls with higher body mass index and girls from households with lower income had lower 25(OH)D concentrations. These effects were not observed in boys.

CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate vitamin D status is a potentially serious public health problem among children and adolescents in Québec. Youth living at high latitudes in countries with and without mandatory fortification of vitamin D are likely at heightened risk of 25(OH)D deficiency. These results call for renewed efforts to ensure adequate vitamin D intake among growing children and adolescents.