Prevalence and Correlates of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Children and Adolescents From a Nationally Representative Survey in India.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and its correlates among apparently healthy children and adolescents.

Methods: We carried out a secondary analysis of data of Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2016-18 to analyze the pre-valence and predictors of VDD among Indian children and adolescents.

Results: The over-all prevalence of VDD in preschool children (1-4 years), school age (5-9 years) children, and adolescents (10-19 years) was 13.7%, 18.2%, and 23.9%, respectively. Age, living in urban area, and winter season were significantly associated with VDD. Vegetarian diet and high-income households were the main risk factors observed in 5-19 years age category. Female sex and less than three hour of physical activity/week were independent risk factors among adolescents.

Conclusion: The prevalence and determinants of VDD across different age-groups are reported, and these should be interpreted and addressed to decrease the burden of VDD in India.