Hidden vitamin D insufficiency in a sun-rich equatorial country: age-, sex-, and season-specific evidence from 2961 Somali children.

Authors

Muhammet Engin Özcan, Abdulrahman Nor Abdi, Mustafa Gahnug

Published in

Journal of tropical pediatrics. Volume 72. Issue 5. Aug 20, 2026.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, and to evaluate age-, sex-, and season-specific variations in serum 25(OH)D levels among Somali children and adolescents. This retrospective cross-sectional study included pediatric outpatients aged 0-18 years who attended a tertiary care hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, between January 2020 and August 2025. Serum 25(OH)D levels were analyzed in 2961 participants and categorized as deficient (<12 ng/ml), insufficient (12-20 ng/ml), or sufficient (>20 ng/ml) according to Global Consensus Recommendations. Participants were stratified by age group, sex, and season. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests, with P < .05 considered statistically significant. Mean serum 25(OH)D levels decreased progressively with age, with the highest concentrations observed in infants aged 0-1 year (53.8 ± 18.1 ng/ml) and the lowest in adolescents aged 12-18 years (27.4 ± 13.1 ng/ml). Vitamin D deficiency was absent in infants and rare in children aged 1-6 years, but increased substantially in older age groups, reaching 9.4% deficiency and 23.7% insufficiency among adolescents. Males consistently exhibited higher serum 25(OH)D levels than females across all age groups and seasons (P < .001). Seasonal variation was observed, with the lowest mean levels recorded during July-September. Despite abundant year-round sunlight, vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are prevalent among Somali children, particularly in adolescents and females. These findings highlight the need for age- and sex-specific public health strategies, including targeted screening and supplementation beyond early childhood, to improve 25(OH)D status in pediatric populations living in sun-rich environments.

PMID:
42618893
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.