One out of 10 or 10.3 percent of Filipino children aged 6 to 12 had vitamin D deficiency, with highest prevalence recorded in the National Capital Region (NCR), based on the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology- Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s (DOST-FNRI).
The DOST-FNRI survey revealed that among Filipino children 6 to 12 years old, a significantly higher proportion or 1 out of 10 girls (11.9 percent) are vitamin D deficient, compared to 8.6 percent of boys.
It said a vitamin D concentration of less than 50 nanomoles (nmol) per liter (L) is considered deficient.
“Significantly, more children, around 18 percent living in urban areas, are deficient in vitamin D, highest prevalence of which was in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila at 30.1 percent,” the survey showed.
The vitamin D deficiency prevalence among Filipino children 6 to12 years old per region is as follows: Luzon, 6.6 percent; Visayas, 5.1 percent; and Mindanao, 6.9 percent.
Older children aged 11 to 12 have a higher likelihood of having vitamin D deficiency than younger children and Filipino girls are 1.5 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than boys, the 2018 ENNS showed.
“The probability of having vitamin D deficiency is 5.4 times higher in children living in urban areas,” the survey said.
The survey likewise showed there is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among female children.
“A significantly higher proportion of vitamin D insufficiency is observed in girls, six out of 10 (57.6 percent) than among boys, four out of 10 (43 percent) aged 6 to12 years old,” it said.
The Institute noted that a vitamin D concentration of 50 to less than 75 nmol/L is considered insufficient.
The 2018 ENNS showed that there are more children in urban areas (59 percent) are insufficient in vitamin D compared to their rural counterparts (45.4 percent).
It also revealed that around 4 to 5 out of 10 Filipino children 6 to12 years old across islands (NCR: 57.9 percent, Luzon: 45.8 percent, Visayas: 47.7 percent, and Mindanao: 51.2 percent) have insufficient levels of vitamin D.
Called as “sunshine vitamin” , vitamin D helps increase mineral absorption like calcium which is necessary for bone health and development
“The body can make vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight that converts a chemical in the skin into an active form of the vitamin called calcitriol,” the DOST-FNRI said.
“Lack of vitamin D is strongly associated with bone disorders and diseases, such as rickets, which affects bone development in children which may result in bone fragility and fracture in later years,” it said.
The micronutrient also protects a person against some forms of cancer and respiratory diseases.
According to the DOST-FNRI-developed Philippine Dietary Recommended Intakes (PDRI), recommended intake for vitamin D is five micrograms for children 6 to12 years old for both males and females.
“Because of its importance in body functions and nutrition, having enough vitamin D in children is essential,” the Institute said.
"The most practical and free source of vitamin D is from exposure to the sun. This is already sufficient to generate our daily vitamin D requirement.”