@article{3115238,
    title = "Low vitamin D status in preschool children in Greece",
    author = "Nicolaidou, Polyxeni and Kakourou, Talia and Papadopoulou, Anna and and Kavadias, Georges and Dimitriou, Elizabeth and Georgouli, Helen and and Tsapra, Helen and Giannoulia-Karantana, Aglaia and Fretzayas, Andreas and and Tsiftis, Georges and Bakoula, Chryssa",
    journal = "Nutrition Research",
    year = "2006",
    volume = "26",
    number = "12",
    pages = "620-625",
    publisher = "PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD",
    issn = "0271-5317",
    doi = "10.1016/j.nutres.2006.09.018",
    keywords = "hypovitaminosis D; preschool children; Greece; sunlight exposure;
vitamin D intake",
    abstract = "Vitamin D status in humans depends on the amount of sun exposure and
vitamin D intake. Recent reports suggest that hypovitammosis D (as
defined by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] < 10 ng/mL) is
reemerging in developed countries and in the Middle East, pointing out
the significance of dietary and cultural practices. In the line of
prevention, we determined vitamin D status in 393 healthy preschool
children randomly selected from 7 day care centers in the Municipality
of Athens in October. The data for the analysis were collected from a
questionnaire regarding their actual dietary practices, voluntary sun
exposure, and lifestyle conditions; clinical investigation for the
determination of the skin phototype; and blood sampling for the
determination of serum 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone, and osteocalcin
levels. Of the 393 children, 49 were immigrants. According to our
results, 6.6% of our population had serum 25(OH)D less than 10 ng/mL.
Multilinear analysis showed that the amount of sun exposure and vitamin
D intake were the direct determinants of vitamin D status. Immigrant
children presented lower serum 25(OH)D levels associated with lower
vitamin D intake and lower socioeconomic class when compared with the
Greek children. No relationship was found between 25(OH)D concentration
and skin phototype, whereas 93.3% of children used topical sunscreen.
We suggest that abundant sunlight exposure in Athens is not sufficient
to prevent hypovitarminosis D in preschool children. The extensive use
of topical sunscreens and environmental factors such as air pollution
would account for inadequate sunlight exposure and the need for dietary
intake of vitamin D. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."
}