Photo by J E W E L M I T CH E L L on Unsplash

A third of Auckland kids don't get enough vitamin D in winter

Embargoed until: Publicly released:

Over 500 primary school kids from across Auckland had their vitamin D levels tested by Massey University researchers who found one-third didn't meet recommended levels. Dietary vitamin D is only found in fish like salmon, herring and tuna, so the major source for Kiwi kids is from the sun. The kids who had lower vitamin D levels were more likely to be overweight and obese, be South Asian ethnicity, have darker skin colour or less sun exposure. Poor vitamin D status during childhood can affect long-term health so the authors suggest supplements should be considered for high-risk children in wintertime.

Journal/conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: Massey University

Media release

From: New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA)

Key points

Children with dark/brown skin colour had lower 25(OH)D levels compared to other skin colour categories
Determinants of a 25(OH)D<50 nmol/L included percentage of body fat and ethnicity.
There are some children at high-risk of 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L for whom supplementation may be considered.

Summary

This study showed that approximately one-third of our population had vitamin D less than recommendations. Poor vitamin D status during childhood can affect long-term health, so opportunities to intervene during childhood should be pursued. A strong consideration should be given to the high-risk children for whom supplementation may be considered especially in wintertime.

News for:

New Zealand

Media contact details for this story are only visible to registered journalists.