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Recent Surge in Severe 25-hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency Among African American Children and Pregnant Women:
1Department of Earth and Chemical Sciences, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA. hsun@rider.edu.
Insights
Severe vitamin D deficiency is rising among African American children and women, increasing rickets risk. This trend highlights an urgent need for public health interventions to address vitamin D inadequacy.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Nutritional rickets disproportionately affects African American children, linked to vitamin D deficiency.
- Vitamin D deficiency is a significant concern in American children and women of childbearing age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the prevalence and trends of vitamin D deficiency in American children and pregnant/lactating women from 2001 to 2023.
- To focus on vitamin D deficiency trends within the African American population.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of serum 25(OH)D levels from 2001-2023 and dietary/supplemental vitamin D intake from 2007-2020.
- Data sourced from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for children (1-17 years) and pregnant/lactating women.
Main Results:
- African American children showed the highest severe vitamin D deficiency (13.8%) in 2021-2023, a rise from 5% in 2001-2002.
- Severe deficiency increased in pregnant/lactating African American women; 83.3% of children and 61.4% of women had inadequate vitamin D intake.
- African American toddlers (12-23 months) had a 2% rate of severe vitamin D deficiency between 2003-2023.
Conclusions:
- The increasing prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency in African American children and women poses a heightened risk for nutritional rickets.
- Urgent public health attention and interventions are required to address this growing deficiency and its associated risks.
Background:
Nutritional rickets is disproportionately prevalent among African American children and is closely linked to vitamin D (VD) deficiency. This study aims to analyze the prevalence and trends of vitamin D deficiency in American children, as well as pregnant and lactating women, from 2001 to 2023, with a focus on African American children.
Methods:
We analyzed serum 25(OH)D levels from 2001 to 2023, as well as dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake from 2007 to 2020, among children aged 1-17 years and pregnant and lactating women. Data were from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Results:
In the 2021-2023 sample, African American children had the highest rate of severe 25(OH)D deficiency (< 25 nmol/L) at 13.8% among all racial groups. This represents a significant increase from 5% in 2001-2002. Additionally, 2% of African American toddlers aged 12-23 months had severely deficient 25(OH)D levels between 2003 and 2023. An increase in severe 25(OH)D deficiency was also observed in pregnant and lactating African American women during the 2021-2023 period. Furthermore, 83.3% of African American children and 61.4% of pregnant and lactating African American women had daily vitamin D intakes below 10 mcg (400 IU), the highest inadequacy rates among all racial groups from 2007 to 2020.
Conclusion:
The recent rise in severe vitamin D deficiency among African American children, pregnant, and lactating women increases the risk of nutritional rickets and calls for prompt public health attention.
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