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. 2024 Nov 19;16(22):3953.
doi: 10.3390/nu16223953.

Assessing the Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on Respiratory Infections in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Elena Tanase  1 , Larisa Mihaela Marusca  1   2 , Florin George Horhat  3 , Monica Susan  4 , Razvan Susan  5 , Razvan Horhat  6 , Stefania Dinu  7 , Tiberiu-Liviu Dragomir  8 , Sonia Tanasescu  9
Affiliations

Assessing the Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on Respiratory Infections in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Elena Tanase et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Recent studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation and higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations may reduce the incidence of respiratory infections in children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between different concentrations of vitamin D supplementation, serum 25-OHD concentrations, and the frequency of respiratory infections among individuals aged 1 to 18 years, for a duration of 2 years.

Methods: Concerning sun exposure in relation to vitamin D, the study took place in Romania, at approximately 45-degree northern latitude. A total of 194 patients were divided into groups based on weekly vitamin D supplementation (<400 IU, 400-800 IU, >800 IU), serum 25-OHD concentrations (<20 ng/mL, 20-30 ng/mL, >30 ng/mL), and age (<6 years, 6-12 years, 12-18 years). The overall incidence of respiratory infections was 41.2%.

Results: Participants receiving >800 IU/week had a significantly lower incidence of infections (16.7%) compared to those receiving <400 IU/week (60.0%, p < 0.001). Similarly, participants with serum 25-OHD concentrations >30 ng/mL had an infection rate of 16.7%, compared to 61.4% in those with concentrations <20 ng/mL (p < 0.001). Age-specific analyses revealed that the protective effect of vitamin D was most pronounced in children under 6 years old. Logistic regression showed that higher vitamin D supplementation and serum 25-OHD concentrations were independently associated with reduced odds of respiratory infections (OR = 0.25 and OR = 0.22, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: These findings support the potential role of vitamin D supplementation in preventing respiratory infections in the pediatric population.

Keywords: food supplements; respiratory infections; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of respiratory infections by vitamin D supplementation level in different age groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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