Background: Puberty can affect vitamin D levels.
Objectives: The goal of this study was to analyze the relation
between vitamin D deficiency and puberty in obese
Spanish children, along with the possible interrelation
between vitamin D status and degree of insulin resistance.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, in
which clinical and biochemical data were gathered from
120 obese and 50 normal weight children between January
2011 and January 2013.
Results: Mean vitamin D levels were 19.5 and 31.6 ng/mL
in obese pubertal and obese prepubertal children, respectively.
About 75% of the obese pubertal subjects and 46%
of the obese prepubertal subjects had vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in pubescent subjects
compared with pre-pubescent subjects in summer,
fall, and winter. There was no apparent relation between
vitamin D levels and homeostasis model assessment index
for insulin resistence (expressed in standard deviation score
for sex and Tanner stage) in either puberty or pre-puberty.
Conclusion: Puberty may be a risk factor for the vitamin
D deficiency commonly found in the obese child population.
This deficiency is not associated with higher insulin
resistance in obese pubertal children compared with
obese prepubertal childre
