The vitamin D intake of children and adolescents in Finland

The vitamin D intake from diet and supplements was studied in 1768 children and adolescents aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 years in the autumn of 1980. The dietary vitamin D intake increased with increasing age, being lowest in the two youngest groups and highest in the two oldest groups, whereas the use of supplements decreased with increasing age. The total vitamin D intake, including both dietary vitamin D and vitamin D obtained from supplements was highest in the youngest groups and decreased with age. In all groups both the dietary mean vitamin D intake and the mean total intake were well below the recommended dietary allowance. The total amount of vitamin D in the diet was lowest in the two youngest groups and the 12-year-olds and highest in the 9-year-olds and the two oldest groups. The main dietary sources of vitamin D were vitaminized margarine, fish and fish products and eggs, providing together about 80 per cent of the total vitamin D intake. With a vitamin D intake as low as that found in this study, ranging from 2.5 to 5.1 micrograms/d including supplements, the risk of nutritional rickets should be high. Nutritional rickets is, however, uncommon in these age groups. The children in this study were healthy, active individuals abundantly exposed to sunshine and therefore getting enough vitamin D through the endogenous route in the skin. Every house-bound child could, however, be at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency with such a low vitamin D intake.