Differences in response to conventional vitamin D therapy among obese and normal weight children and adolescents in Qazvin, Iran

Background Vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency is one of the major nutritional deficiencies in children. Obesity has inverse association with vitamin D levels. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in response to conventional treatment for Vit D deficiency and insufficiency in obese and normal weight children and adolescents.
This nested case control study was conducted in 69 obese children and 133 normal weight matched control suffering from Vit D insufficiency or deficiency. Vit D deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH) D3 At baseline, mean Vit D level was 13.5 ng/mL in obese and 14.5 ng/mL in normal weight children (P>0.05). After follow up, mean Vit D level became 29.6 ng/mL in obese and 33 ng/mL in normal weight children (PConclusion Therapeutic response in obese children was less than normal weight children. It seems that treatment with higher doses of Vit D or longer period is necessary in obese children of the present study.