Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Association with Iron Deficiency in African Children

Mogire RM, Muriuki JM, Morovat A, Mentzer AJ, Webb EL, Kimita W, Ndungu FM, Macharia AW, Cutland CL, Sirima SB, Diarra A, Tiono AB, Lule SA, Madhi SA, Prentice AM, Bejon P, Pettifor JM, Elliott AM, Adeyemo A, Williams TN, Atkinson SH · Nutrients · 2022 March 25

DOI 10.3390/nu14071372

Objective

To evaluate the associations between vitamin D and iron status in African children aged 0.3 months to 8 years, considering markers of iron status, inflammation, malaria parasitemia, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in a multi-country study.

Conclusions

Children with low 25(OH)D concentrations (<50 nmol/L) had a 98% increased risk of iron deficiency compared to those with higher concentrations, suggesting a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and iron deficiency in the studied population. Additionally, 25(OH)D concentrations variably influenced individual markers of iron status, and inflammation interacted with 25(OH)D concentrations to predict ferritin levels. The findings highlight the importance of considering the link between vitamin D and iron status in developing strategies to manage nutrient deficiencies in African children.

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