Publication: Evaluation of vitamin D levels in children and adolescents after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: 1-year results of a secondary-level state hospital
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Date
2024-04-01
Authors
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Çömlek F. Ö.
TOPRAK A.
BİRBİLEN A. Z.
Dilek S. Ö.
Coşkun F.
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Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global public health problem with high morbidity and mortality rates. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status of patients presenting to the Pediatrics Department of Gaziantep Maternity and Children\"s Hospital in the 1-year period after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic according to ethnicity, age, and gender. Method: This cross-sectional study included the data of 7640 patients whose 25(OH)D levels were assessed at our hospital between March 2021 and March 2022. Vitamin D levels, age, gender, and the ethnic origin of the patients were retrospectively scanned and recorded from the laboratory results system. Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of vitamin D levels, patients were divided into three groups: <10 ng/mL = vitamin D deficiency; 10–19 ng/mL = vitamin D insufficiency, and 20 ng/mL and over = normal vitamin D status. Results: The mean age of the 7640 patients who presented to the pediatrics department was 7.47 (±5.3) years. Of these patients, 48 % (3665) were male and 52 % (3975) were female. The mean vitamin D level of girls was 18.1 (±15.2) ng/mL, and of boys it was 20.2 (±15.4) ng/mL, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). In total, 21.2 % (1650) of patients had deficient, 43.3 % (3310) of patients had insufficient, and 35.5 % (2710) of patients had normal 25(OH)D levels. Overall, 21.8 % of the patients (1667) were immigrants, and in this group the deficiency was found to be statistically significantly higher at 27.4 % (n = 456; p < 0.001). There was a low negative correlation between the age of the patients and their 25(OH)D levels (r=−0.35; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency remains a serious public health problem. Since the most important production source is exposure to the sun, it must be kept in mind that vitamin D should be supported during lockdown pandemic processes.
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Keywords
Tıp, Dahili Tıp Bilimleri, Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları, Sağlık Bilimleri, Medicine, Internal Medicine Sciences, Child Health and Diseases, Health Sciences, Klinik Tıp (MED), Klinik Tıp, PEDİATRİ, Clinical Medicine (MED), CLINICAL MEDICINE, PEDIATRICS, Pediatri, Perinatoloji ve Çocuk Sağlığı, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health, COVID-19, Deficiency, Pandemic, Vitamin D
Citation
Çömlek F. Ö., TOPRAK A., BİRBİLEN A. Z., Dilek S. Ö., Coşkun F., "Evaluation of vitamin D levels in children and adolescents after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: 1-year results of a secondary-level state hospital", Archives de Pediatrie, cilt.31, sa.3, ss.179-182, 2024