Prevalence and factors associated with fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in adolescents.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: fat-soluble vitamin deficiency may be a health problem not recognized in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with the deficiency of vitamins A, D and E among adolescent students from Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: transversal study with adolescents aged 12 to 19 of both genders. A questionnaire to collect socioeconomic and lifestyle data and food intake was applied to adolescents. Then, an anthropometric evaluation and a blood sampling were performed to analyze serum concentrations of retinol, ß-carotene, α-tocopherol and 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D). RESULTS: the intake of vitamins A (50.3%), E (94.0%) and D (99.8%), as well as α-tocopherol (88.1%), ß-carotene (74.1%), 25(OH)D (50.9%) and retinol (46.6%) serum levels were mostly deficient/insufficient. An increased risk of α-tocopherol deficiency was observed in girls (PR = 1.11) and an increased risk of 25(OH)D deficiency was observed in boys (PR = 1.41). An increased likelihood of ß-carotene (PR = 1.14) and 25(OH) D (PR = 1.38) insufficiency was observed in overweight individuals. CONCLUSIONS: the adolescents had a deficit in the intake and in serum levels of fat-soluble vitamins. The greatest risk of inadequacy was associated with gender and weight excess. However, the behavior of fat-soluble vitamins in adolescents needs further research.