Vitamin D status is associated with underweight and stunting in children aged 6–36 months residing in the Ecuadorian Andes

Objective There is limited knowledge on vitamin D status of children residing in the Andes and its association with undernutrition. We evaluated the vitamin D status of children residing in a low socio-economic status (SES) setting in the Ecuadorian Andes and assessed the association between vitamin D status, stunting and underweight. We hypothesized that children who were underweight would have lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and lower 25(OH)D levels would be associated with a higher risk of stunting. Design We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the Vitamin A, Zinc and Pneumonia study. Children had serum 25(OH)D concentrations measured. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken to determine a vitamin D cut-off specific for our endpoints. Associations between serum 25(OH)D and underweight (defined as weight-for-age Z -score≤−1) and stunting (defined as height-for-age Z -score≤−2) were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Setting Children residing in five low-SES peri-urban neighbourhoods near Quito, Ecuador. Subjects Children ( n 516) aged 6–36 months. Results Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 58·0 ( sd 17·7) nmol/l. Sensitivity analysis revealed an undernutrition-specific 25(OH)D cut-off of Conclusions Low serum 25(OH)D levels were more common in underweight and stunted Ecuadorian children

Body mass index · Logistic regression · Malnutrition · Malnutrition in children · Overweight · Underweight · Vitamin · Vitamin D and neurology · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Vitamin D Research Studies · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics

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