The Philippine Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s (DOST-FNRI) survey has found that 1 out 10 or 10.3 percent of Filipino children aged 6 to 12 had vitamin D deficiency.
The highest prevalence was recorded in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the survey found that among Filipino children 6 to 12 years old, 1 out 10 girls (11.9 percent) are vitamin D deficient compared to 8.6 percent of boys. The vitamin D concentration of less than 50 nanomoles (nmol) per liter (L) is considered deficient.
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The study also found that around 18 percent living in urban areas are deficient in vitamin D and the highest prevalence of this was in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila at 30.1 percent.
The deficiency prevalent among Filipino children between 6-12 years old region-wise as: Luzon, 6.6 percent; Visayas, 5.1 percent; and Mindanao, 6.9 percent.
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Also, older children aged 11 to 12 were found to have a higher likelihood of having vitamin D deficiency than younger children and Filipino girls were found 1.5 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than boys.
The survey also said that the probability of having vitamin D deficiency was 5.4 times higher in children living in urban areas and a significantly higher proportion of vitamin D insufficiency was observed in girls, six out of 10 (57.6 percent) than among boys, four out 10 (43 percent) aged 6 to 12 years old. (AW)
