Deficiency of Daily Calcium and Vitamin D in Primary School Children in Lviv, Ukraine.

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of calcium and vitamin D deficiency in school children aged 6 to 11 years in Lviv (Ukraine). The aim of this study was also to assess the effect of nutritional intervention and supplementation on serum calcium and vitamin D levels in children diagnosed with calcium deficiency. A 3 day diet was analyzed in 172 children. In 56 children with a deficiency of calcium and/or vitamin D, the level of total calcium, ionized calcium, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood, as well as the calcium content in hair samples, was determined. Thirty children with confirmed calcium and/or vitamin D deficiency underwent a dietary intervention to increase calcium and vitamin D intake for 3 months. The study group (n = 15) was provided with a nutritional correction by modifying their diet with supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. The control group (n = 15) received only a diet modification. Decreased daily calcium intake was observed in 50.68% of boys and 70.71% of girls. A decreased level of daily vitamin D consumption was found in 84.93% of boys and 96.97% of girls. Among 56 children with insufficient daily consumption of calcium and/or vitamin D, 26.8% had reduced levels of total calcium in the blood, 16.1% had reduced levels of ionized calcium in the blood, and 48.2% had reduced levels of vitamin D. After 3 months of correction, normal calcium level was found in the hair of 10 students (66.7%) from the study group and in three subjects (20.0%) from the control group. Modification of the diet along with supplementation of calcium and vitamin D seems to be a more effective method for increasing the level of calcium among children aged 6 to 11 years.

Secular Trends of Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity in Children and Adolescents from Ukraine.

Overweight and obesity, as well as underweight in children and adolescents, pose a significant public health issue. This study aimed to investigate the secular trend of the incidence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in children from Ukraine in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019. The studies were conducted in randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Ukraine. In total, 13,447 children (6468 boys and 6979 girls) participated in the study in 2013/2014 and 18,144 children (8717 boys and 9427 girls) participated in 2018/2019. Measurements of body weight and height were performed in triplicate. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were diagnosed according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the group of girls, a significant difference between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 measurements was found only among 7-year-olds. The percentage of girls at this age exceeding the body mass index (BMI) norm was lower in the 2018/2019 study. In boys, a significant difference was also found in 7-year-olds, and, as in girls, a lower share of overweight and obesity was found in 2018/2019. But for the ages of 12, 13, and 15, the significant differences had a different character-more overweight or obese boys were found in the 2018/2019 study. The proportion of underweight children was similar for the majority of age groups in both genders and did not differ in a statistically significant way.

Assessment of body mass index in a pediatric population aged 7-17 from Ukraine according to various international criteria-A cross-sectional study.

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health problems. The prevalence of obesity among children is increasing and may negatively affect their immediate health, but it can also lead to obesity in adulthood. The aim of the study was to compare BMI cut-off points by examining three main international references: the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Task Force Obesity (IOTF) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ultimately, the study group consisted of 18,144 children and adolescents aged 6.5-17.5 years. Body mass was measured on medical scales with an accuracy of ± 100 g and height measurement was taken using a height meter with an accuracy of ± 0.1 cm three times. Underweight, overweight and obesity were calculated according to WHO, IOTF and CDC BMI international references. There were differences in the incidence of underweight between the classifications: 16.8% according to IATF, 5.3% according to WHO and 9.9% according to CDC. There were also differences in the incidence of overweight and obesity between the classifications: 13% according to IOTF, 19.7% according to WHO and 14.1% according to CDC. In the CDC and WHO studies, a significantly higher prevalence of childhood obesity (4.0% and 4.7%, respectively) was observed compared with IOTF (2.1%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity in this study was higher among boys compared to girls. However, estimates of prevalence of overweight and obesity differ in methods and reference cut-off points. Higher prevalence was obtained in IOTF classification, followed by the WHO and CDC classification.

Assessment of the Impact of Parental BMI on the Incidence of Overweight and Obesity in Children from Ukraine.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of parental body mass index (BMI) on the risk of having an overweight or obese child in Ukraine. This study included 22,576 parents (11,288 mothers and fathers) and the same number of children (boys 48%, girls 52%) aged 6.0-18.9 years who live in Ukraine. The study was conducted in randomly selected primary, secondary and high schools of Ukraine. Body weight and height was measured in triplicate. Based on the results obtained, BMI was calculated. The analysis was carried out based on z-score values of children and BMI classification of children. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. For fathers, 38.1% had normal BMI, 15.9% were obese, and 45.6% were overweight. For mothers, 52.1% of those surveyed had normal BMI, 31.8% were overweight and 13.5% were classified as obese. The vast majority (72.7%) of children had normal weight, 10.2% were overweight, and 15.0% were underweight. Children of overweight fathers had a higher risk of becoming overweight (OR = 1.41). Children of obese fathers had both a greater risk of being overweight (OR = 2.04) and obese (OR = 2.56). The odds ratios indicate that children of overweight mothers had a greater risk of being overweight (OR = 1.45) and obese (OR = 1.76). Children of obese mothers had both a greater risk of becoming overweight (OR = 2.05) and obese (OR = 2.70). More often, overweight and obese parents had children who also had higher BMI.

First Ukrainian Growth References for Height, Weight, and Body Mass Index for Children and Adolescents Aged 7 to 18 Years.

Introduction. To date, growth centiles of children and adolescents have not been created in Ukraine. Therefore, the aim of this study was to construct reference growth charts for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of Ukrainian school-aged children and to compare them with World Health Organization references from 2007 for children's BMI. Material and Methods. Among the representative sample of 13,712 students (aged 7 to 18 years) who were included in this study, 6,582 (48%) were boys and 7,130 (52%) were girls. Assessments of height, body mass, and BMI of participants were performed. Reference charts were developed using LMS models within the ChartMaker lms program. Results. We present first growth references for height, weight, and body mass index for Ukrainian children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years. The younger Ukrainian pediatric population (7-13 years) was heavier than population reported in the multiethnic WHO references, while the older (13-18 years) had lower body weight comparing to the same references from WHO. Conclusions. The constructed reference growth charts are a benchmark for following secular trends in Ukraine and are also an optimal clinical tool for health care. We recommend national implementation of the Ukrainian reference growth charts for anthropometric measurements.

The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from Ukraine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight in children from Ukraine. A cross-sectional study was performed on data collected from a representative sample of Ukraine children (13,739 children (boys 48%, girls 52%) aged 6.0-18.9 years). The measurement of body weight was performed with medical scales and height was measured using a stadiometer. Based on the results obtained, body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Three criteria were used to define childhood underweight, overweight and obesity: The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference, World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standard and The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The combined prevalence of obesity and overweight among children aged 6-18 years old was 12.1%, 17.6%, and 12.6% based on the IOTF reference, WHO growth standard, and the CDC, respectively. Obesity was 2.1%, 4.2%, and 3.6% respectively. Significantly more girls were underweight than boys. Furthermore, a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity was diagnosed in younger that older Ukrainian population.