High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Inner-City African American Youth with Asthma

The Journal of Pediatrics

http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(09)01290-6/abstract

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Inner-City African American Youth with Asthma in Washington, DC

Robert J. Freishtat, MD, MPHacefCorresponding Author Informationemail address, Sabah F. Iqbal, MDacef, Dinesh K. Pillai, MDadef, Catherine J. Klein, PhD, RDbe, Leticia M. Ryan, MDbce, Angela S. Benton, BASa, Stephen J. Teach, MD, MPHbce

Published online 17 March 2010.

Objective
The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency among urban African-American (AA) youth with asthma compared with control subjects without asthma.

Study design
A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted at an urban pediatric medical center. Total 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency (<30 ng/mL) and deficiency (<20 ng/mL) were assessed in urban self-reported AA patients, aged 6 to 20 years, with (n = 92) and without (n = 21) physician-diagnosed asthma.

Results
Blood samples were available for 85 (92%) cases. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were significantly greater among cases than control subjects (73/85 [86%] vs 4/21 [19%], adjusted odds ratio = 42 [95% confidence interval: 4.4 to 399] for insufficiency and 46/85 [54%] vs 1/21 [5%], adjusted odds ratio = 20 [95% confidence interval: 1.4 to 272] for deficiency).

Conclusions
Most of this sample of urban AA youth with persistent asthma were vitamin D deficient or insufficient. Given the emerging associations between low vitamin D levels and asthma, strong consideration should be given to routine vitamin D testing in urban AA youth, particularly those with asthma.