Differences in vitamin D status and calcium metabolism in Saudi Arabian boys and girls aged 6 to 18 years: effects of age, gender, extent of veiling and physical activity with concomitant implications for bone health

摘要

Abstract Objective Few data exist looking at vitamin D status and bone health in school-aged boys and girls from Saudi Arabia. The present study aimed to determine the extent of poor vitamin D status in school boys and girls aged 6a€“18 years and to examine if there was any difference in status with age, physical activity and veiling and concomitant effects on bone. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subjects A total of 150 boys (7a€“16 years) and 150 girls (6a€“18 years) from local schools were divided into age categories: 6a€“9 years (elementary school); 10a€“12 years (secondary school); 13a€“14 years (middle years); 15a€“18 years (high school). Results Vitamin D status was significantly lower in girls than boys in all age groups (P < 0?·01), with the 15a€“18-year-old girls having the lowest level (22?·0 (sd 9?·4) nmol/l) in comparison to the 15a€“18-year-old boys (39?·3 (sd 14?·0) nmol/l) and the 6a€“9-year-old girls (41?·2 (sd 9?·3) nmol/l). Parathyroid hormone status was highest in the 15a€“18-year-old girls in comparison to boys of the same age. A total of 64 % of 15a€“18-year-old girls had 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) status