Vitamin D status in recently arrived immigrants from Afica and Asia: a cross-sectional study from Norway of children, adolescents and adults.

25(OH)D was very prevalent in recently settled immigrants from Middle East, South Sahara Africa and South Asia, and female adolescents from these regions had the lowest levels of 25(OH)D. Country-specific median 25(OH)D levels were low in immigrants from Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq. 25(OH)D as a routine test upon arrivel seems indicated for most immigrant groups from Africa and Asi

Vitamin D status in recently arrived immigrants from Afica and Asia: a cross-sectional study from Norway of children, adolescents and adults.

25(OH)D was very prevalent in recently settled immigrants from Middle East, South Sahara Africa and South Asia, and female adolescents from these regions had the lowest levels of 25(OH)D. Country-specific median 25(OH)D levels were low in immigrants from Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq. 25(OH)D as a routine test upon arrivel seems indicated for most immigrant groups from Africa and Asia

Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fructosamine, serum lipids, and body mass index: a randomized, doubleblinded, placebo-controlled trial among healthy immigrants living in Norway

Objective Despite the suggested role of vitamin D in the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease or its risk factors, the evidence is not consistent and there is a paucity of randomized controlled trials in this field. We aimed to investigate the effect of 16-week daily vitamin D3 supplementation on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fructosamine, body mass index (BMI), and serum lipids. Design Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Immigrant community centers in Oslo, Norway. Participants 251 healthy adults aged 18–50 years with a non-Western immigrant background. All participants performed the baseline test and 215 (86%) returned to the follow-up test. Intervention 16 weeks of daily oral supplementation with either 10 µg vitamin D3, 25 µg vitamin D3, or placebo. Main outcome measures Difference in absolute change during the 16-week intervention between the intervention groups combined (10 or 25 µg of vitamin D3/day) and placebo, in HbA1c, fructosamine, serum lipids (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides), and BMI. Results A total of 215 (86%) participants completed the study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased from 29 nmol/L at baseline to 49 nmol/L after intervention, with little change in the placebo group. However, there was no difference in change of HbA1c between those receiving vitamin D3 compared with placebo (mean difference: 0.01% (95% CI -0.04 to 0.06, p=0.7)). Neither did the vitamin D3 supplementation have any effect on the other end points: fructosamine, serum lipids, and BMI. Conclusions 16-week vitamin D3 supplementation to healthy immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East, or Africa and now living in Norway with low vitamin D status did not improve HbA1c, fructosamine, lipid profiles, or BMI. An updated meta-analysis of similar published trials showed that our results were generally consistent with those of other studies

Vitamin D levels during pregnancy and associations with birth weight and body composition of the newborn: A longitudinal multiethnic population-based study

We investigated associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in pregnancy and birth weight and other neonatal anthropometric measures. The present study was a population-based, multiethnic cohort study of 719 pregnant women (59 % ethnic minorities) in Oslo, Norway, delivering a singleton neonate at term and with birth weight measurements. In a representative sample, anthropometric measurements were taken. Maternal 25(OH)D was measured at gestational weeks 15 and 28. Women with 25(OH)D <37 nmol/l were recommended vitamin D3 supplementation. Separate linear regression analyses were performed to model the associations between 25(OH)D and each of the outcomes: birth weight, crown–heel length, head circumference, abdominal circumference, sum of skinfolds, mid-upper arm circumference and ponderal index. In early pregnancy, 51 % of the women were vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D<50 nmol/l). In univariate analyses and in models adjusting for maternal age, parity, education, prepregnancy BMI, season, gestational age and neonate sex, maternal 25(OH)D was significantly associated with birth weight, head circumference, abdominal circumference and ponderal index (P<0·05 for all), when used as a continuous variable and categorised (consistently low, consistently high, increasing and decreasing level). However, after adjusting for ethnicity, 25(OH)D was no longer associated with any of the outcomes. Sex-specific associations for abdominal circumference and sum of skinfolds were found (P for interaction<0·05). In conclusion, in a multiethnic cohort of pregnant women with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, we found no independent relation between maternal vitamin D levels and any of the neonatal anthropometric measures, and the strong association between ethnicity and neonatal outcomes was not affected by maternal vitamin D status