Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance among overweight children and adolescents : a database study

Abstract

To evaluate the associations among vitamin D levels, obesity, and insulin resistance in an adolescent cohort, a cross-sectional study was conducted using 10-18 year old adolescents enrolled in the Adolescent Diabetes and Obesity Clinic (ADOBE) through University of Missouri Health Care. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (hypovitaminosis D) was categorized as normal ([greater than or equal to]30 ng/mL), insufficient ([greater than or equal to]20 ng/mL), and deficient (<20 ng/mL). Body Mass Index (BMI) percentiles for age and gender were used to classify obesity status as overweight (>85%) and obese (>95%). Participants were considered insulin resistant with a fasting serum insulin level >20 mc unit/mL. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were computed and statistical significance was established (p <0.05).