Vitamin D Prescribing Practices in Primary Care Pediatrics: Underpinnings From the Health Belief Model and Use of...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency represent a significant public health concern affecting children and adolescents in the United States.
• Inconsistent adherence to clinical practice guidelines for vitamin D management by pediatric primary care providers may exacerbate this pandemic problem.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pediatric primary care providers' prescribing habits for vitamin D and their related practice actions and knowledge.
• To assess the current landscape of vitamin D management in pediatric primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive correlational research design was employed.
• Participants, including pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners, were recruited via an online survey from a purposive sample.
• The survey instrument underwent reliability and validity testing using a web-based Delphi technique.

Main Results:

• Most surveyed providers acknowledged vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency as prevalent issues in pediatric populations.
• A notable finding was that fewer than half of the providers reported recommending the guideline-suggested daily vitamin D supplementation of 600–1,000 IU for patients aged 1–18 years.

Conclusions:

• Despite awareness of vitamin D deficiency as a problem, there is a gap in the consistent recommendation of appropriate supplementation by pediatric primary care providers.
• This suggests a need for improved education and implementation strategies to ensure adherence to vitamin D management guidelines in pediatric care.