Vitamin D Status in an Italian Pediatric Cohort: Is There a Role for Tobacco Smoking Exposure?
Maria Grazia Clemente1, Dario Argiolas1, Stefania Bassu1, Angela Bitti1, Cristian Locci1, Mauro Argiolas1, Lino Argiolas1, Laura Saderi1, Mariangela V. Puci2, Giovanni Sotgiu2, Mary E. Blue3, Roberto Antonucci11Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy 2Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy 3Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D deficiency is a common public health issue worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the vitamin D status and its potential determinants in children residing in Sardinia (40°N), Italy. METHODS: A total of 182 children (males: 51.7%; median age: 9 years) were enrolled over a 12-month period. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by an immune-chemiluminescence assay. A questionnaire was used to gather information on other variables, including passive smoke exposure. RESULTS: Mean (SD) serum 25(OH)D was 25.2 (8.3) ng/mL for the whole group. The majority (n=123, 67.6%) of children had vitamin D sufficient values >20 ng/mL, while about 1/3 had vitamin D insufficient/deficient values (≤20 ng/mL (n=59, 32.4%). Among the variables investigated, passive smoke exposure was significantly associated with insufficient 25(OH)D levels (p<0.0001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results further prove that hypovitaminosis D is common in the Italian children and documented that passive smoke exposure is a significant risk factor for hypovitaminosis D.