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Vitamin D deficiency in adolescent females
Laura S Harkness1, Barbara A Cromer
1Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Lharkness@metrohealth.org
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in adolescent girls and across racial groups and seasons.
Methods:
Healthy postmenarcheal girls (12-18 years of age) were recruited for the study. Serum samples were assayed for 25(OH)D with a competitive protein binding assay (CPB) (Nichols Institute, San Clemente, California).
Results:
The study included 370 girls (mean age, 15.5 +/- 1.6 y), with a mean serum 25(OH)D level of 53.7(29.0) nmol/L. Seventeen percent of the girls were found to be vitamin D deficient (serum 25(OH)D
Conclusions:
For adolescent girls living in the northeastern United States, especially African-American girls, low 25(OH)D levels are a noteworthy concern because bone acquisition is crucial during this period of development.
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