Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 13, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 87-93

Vitamin D deficiency in refugee children from conflict zones (Article)

Sheikh M.* , Wang S. , Pal A. , MacIntyre C.R. , Wood N. , Gunesekera H.
  • a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Samuel's Building, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia, Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Samuel's Building, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • e Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • f Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is common in newly resettled refugee children and is associated with significant morbidity including rickets. To determine risk factors and burden of vitamin D deficiency in newly resettled refugee children in Australia. A descriptive epidemiological study and survey on refugee children attending an outpatient general health clinic at the Children's Hospital Westmead, Sydney. 215 patients were examined (age range 0-17 years), (76%) majority were from Africa. Mean serum 25OHD level was 46 nmol/L (SD = 24) (sufficiency range 50-150 nmol/L). 40% had mild deficiency (26-50 nmol/L), 19% moderate deficiency (13-25 nmol/L) and 2% were severely deficient (<13 nmol/L). Deficiency was most common in East African (72%) and Middle Eastern (66%) refugees, children in early puberty (89%) and those living in Australia >6 months (71%). Deficient children were more likely to have had movement restrictions and longer time in hiding in their country of refuge (OR 3:1[CI 0.9-9.7], P = .062). © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

Vitamin D Children Hiding Deficiency Refugee

Index Keywords

refugee Australia human Refugees war ethnology Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn male preschool child female Infant Child, Preschool newborn vitamin D deficiency Article blood Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79551562244&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-010-9325-9&partnerID=40&md5=864242daacd3c0a809e05622b29619da
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-010-9325-9
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 14
Original Language: English