Survey of vitamin D Serum levels and its affecting factors in infants aged 2 to 6 years in Kermanshah

Background: Vitamin D plays critical role in the development and bone stability, cell proliferation and differentiation. The aim of this study was to determine the serum levels of vitamin D and its affecting factors in infants aged 2 to 6 years in Kermanshah. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in 32 health centers of Kermanshah on 389 children from 2 to 6 age, between 2014-2015. The questionnaires were distributed by verbal and written consent from parents of children and characteristics of them and type of their nutrition were recorded. The height and weight of infants were measured and recorded using the Sika scales with minimal coverage. The serum vitamin D levels were analyzed by ELISA method and the data were analyzed using SPSS v. 20 software. Results: In this study, from 389 children 180 (46.3%) were female and 209 (53.17%) male. The results showed, 8.7% of infants had severe deficiency and 49.1% and 42.2% had insufficient and normal levels of vitamin D respectively. The highest mean serum vitamin D level was reported in summer, and there was a significant relationship between serum vitamin D levels with age, height, weight, and exposure to sunlight (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, due to the high deficiency of vitamin D and its importance in children's growth and health, parents should be notifyed about the importance of this vitamin and also the necessity of enrichment of food in the health program.