J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. Ahead of Print: JCRPE-03371 | DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2024.2023-11-16

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 Antonucci^1
1Pediatric 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.

Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, hypovitaminosis D, passive smoke exposure, lifestyle habits

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