Evaluation of vitamin D supplementation for children under 16 years of age in France. A cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

Introduction

Vitamin D is essential for children's growth and for the prevention of rickets; moreover, it has an essential role in phosphocalcic homeostasis. In 2022, new recommendations for vitamin D supplementation were established in France. In this study, we sought to evaluate the modalities of supplementation in children up to the age of 16 years and to determine the factors that might be related to compliance with the recommendations.

Materials and methods

This was an observational descriptive study. Over two distinct periods, questionnaires were distributed at three pediatric emergency departments in Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy) to children up to 16 years of age.

Results

Overall, 710 questionnaires were analyzed. Adherence to vitamin D supplementation among children aged 0–16 years was low, with only 17 % of children following the supplementation recommendations, but it increased to 38 % in children under 2 years old. The main factors associated with adherence to the recommendations were younger age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.35, 95 % confidence interval [CI] [0.19–0.62], p < 0.001), medical follow-up by a pediatrician (OR: 0.34, 95 % CI [0.21–0.55], p < 0.001), and a higher socioeconomic status of the parents (OR: 2.43, 95 % CI [1.23–5.16], p = 0.014).

Conclusion

Adherence to the 2022 vitamin D supplementation recommendations was low, with only 17 % of children complying. However, these data need to be verified by conducting further large-scale research to confirm the findings and identify the most effective strategies for improving long-term adherence to the recommendations.