ABSTRACT

The high frequency of vitamin D deficiency in immigrant children (especially girls older than 10 years) indicates a need for supplementation and nutritional support.

A total of 171 immigrant children with a mean age of 10.1±5.3 years were included in the study. Of these children, while 25.7% were observed to have normal (>20 ng/mL) 25(OH)D blood level, 31.2% were established to have mild deficiency (12-20ng/mL), and 40.9% were found to have vitamin D deficiency requiring treatment (<12ng/mL). When compared the vitamin D levels of children according to their gender, age groups, and nationalities, girls (p=0.003) and children at the age of 10 and above (p≤0.001) were observed to have lower 25(OH)D vitamin levels.

Syrian and Iraqi immigrant children whose blood 25(OH)D levels were checked in hospitals in the province of Ankara in Turkey between the dates of 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2018. Vitamin levels of 25(OH)D were classified as <12 ng/mL deficiency, 12-20 ng/mL insufficiency, >20 ng/mL normal.

Recent studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency in immigrant children is widespread.The aim of this study was to establish the correlation between vitamin D levels, age, gender, diagnosis, and nationality of Syrian and Iraqi immigrant children with vitamin D deficiency.