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  • Original Article
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Intake of vitamin D by Finnish children aged 3 months to 3 years in relation to sociodemographic factors

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1317–1322 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To study the total daily intake of vitamin D from food and supplements among Finnish children aged 3 months to 3 years, the dietary sources of vitamin D and the association between vitamin D intake and sociodemographic factors.

Subjects and methods:

The subjects are participants in the Finnish Type I Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Nutrition Study born between October 1997 and October 1998. At the age of 3 and 6 months, 1, 2 and 3 years, 342 (72% of the invited families), 298 (63%), 267 (56%), 233 (49%) and 209 (44%) families, respectively, participated in the present study. Food consumption was assessed by a 3-day food record. A structured questionnaire was used to record the parents' socioeconomic status.

Results:

The mean dietary vitamin D intake exceeded the recommendation (10 μg/day) at the age of 3 (11.0 μg) and 6 months (12.0 μg), but decreased thereafter being 9.8, 5.0 and 4.1 μg at 1, 2 and 3 years of age, respectively. Among the children 91, 91, 81, 42 and 26% used vitamin D supplements at the age of 3 and 6 months, and 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. In children not using vitamin D supplements, vitamin D intake was less than 10 μg/day at all ages. Vitamin D intake from food did not differ in children who used and did not use vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D supplements were the main source of vitamin D intake in all age groups studied, followed by vitamin D-fortified infant formula in 3-month-olds and infant formula and baby foods in 6-month-olds. After the age of 1 year, the most important food sources of vitamin D were margarine, fish, baby foods, low-fat milk and eggs. Sociodemographic factors, especially the number of children in the family and maternal age, were associated with the total vitamin D intake and vitamin D supplement use.

Conclusion:

Vitamin D supplements are not used according to the dietary recommendations in a substantial proportion of Finnish children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland

    M Räsänen, S Ahonen, L Uusitalo, S Kautiainen, M Erkkola & S M Virtanen

  2. National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland

    M Räsänen

  3. Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    C Kronberg-Kippilä, M Erkkola & S M Virtanen

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    R Veijola

  5. Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    M Knip

  6. Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    M Knip

  7. Research Unit, Tampere University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    M Kaila & S M Virtanen

Authors
  1. M Räsänen
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  2. C Kronberg-Kippilä
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  3. S Ahonen
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  4. L Uusitalo
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  5. S Kautiainen
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  6. M Erkkola
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  7. R Veijola
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  8. M Knip
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  9. M Kaila
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  10. S M Virtanen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S M Virtanen.

Additional information

Guarantor: SMV.

Contributors: SMV has designed the DIPP Nutrition study and is responsible for the study. CK-K and SA are responsible for the management and analysis of food consumption data. MR and SK did the statistical analysis. RV is the Senior Investigator and MK the Principal Investigator of the DIPP study in Oulu. MR, CK-K and SMV drafted the manuscript and all the co-authors participated in the evaluation of the results and in writing the manuscript.

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Räsänen, M., Kronberg-Kippilä, C., Ahonen, S. et al. Intake of vitamin D by Finnish children aged 3 months to 3 years in relation to sociodemographic factors. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1317–1322 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602459

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602459

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