Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2022 | Obesity | Research
Association between serum vitamin D levels and visceral adipose tissue among adolescents: a cross-sectional observational study in NHANES 2011–2015
Published in: BMC Pediatrics | Issue 1/2022
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Background
In recent years, obesity and vitamin D deficiency are more prevalent among adolescents. Improving our knowledge of the link between vitamin D and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is essential for the health of adolescents. This study aimed to examine the connection between serum vitamin D levels and VAT mass among adolescents participating in the United States.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study that used data from the 2011 to 2015 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The connection between serum vitamin D levels and VAT was investigated using weighted multiple linear regression models. Potential nonlinear relationships were explored using smooth curve fitting.
Results
The analysis included 3171 adolescents aged 12–19 years. Vitamin D levels were shown to be inversely linked with VAT in the full-adjusted model (β = − 0.34, 95% CI: − 0.49 to − 0.19). When stratified analyses by gender, this negative relationship persisted in the girls’ group (β = − 0.39, 95% CI: − 0.60 to − 0.19), but not in the boys’ group (β = − 0.06, 95% CI: − 0.25 to 0.13). When stratified analysis by race, this negative relationship persisted in the Mexican American group (β = − 0.61, 95% CI: − 1.03 to − 0.19), and the non-Hispanic White group (β = − 0.27, 95% CI: − 0.54 to − 0.01), but not in the other groups.
Conclusions
Our findings confirmed that serum vitamin D levels negatively correlated with VAT among adolescents in the United State, especially in girls, the Mexican American and non-Hispanic White. Further research is needed to determine whether increasing serum vitamin D levels decrease VAT among adolescents.