الفهرس 
VITAMIN DOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
C
orresponding to the importance of vitamin D, as well as the shortage of studies examining its effect on obesity and behaviour problems in the prepubertal period.The aim of our study was to evaluate vitamin D status in obese prepubertal girls and to investigate its relationships to obesity and behaviour problems in prepubertal girls.
This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 70 obese (6-10 years) prebupertal girls and 20 ages matched normal weight girls as a standard for vitamin D level. They were recruited from the clinic of ‘Management of visceral obesity and growth disturbance’ in the ‘Medical Research Centre of Excellence’ in the National Research Centre (NRC).
They were subjected to personal and family history intake, full physical examination, anthropometric assessment, vitamin D level measurement and Assessment of behaviour problems and depressive symptoms.
According to their vitamin D level they were subdivided into: normal weight with normal vitamin D, normal weight with vitamin D deficiency, obese with normal vitamin D and obese with vitamin D deficiency.
In the current sample results revealed high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among prepubescent period in both normal weight and obese girls.
According to their vitamin D status, present sample was examined for some socio-demographic characteristics showed significant statistical differences as regards number of siblings as girls had 1-3 siblings were more in the normal vitamin D group, while girls with more than three siblings had lower vitamin D levels. Also, vitamin D deficiency is more in girls of 4th child order but with in-significant statistical differences.
Regarding behaviour problems, vitamin D deficient group showed higher percentages of conduct disorder, learning problems, psychosomatic, impulsive hyperactivity and depression with no significant statistical differences. And lower non significant percentages for anxiety and hyperactivity index.
As regard obesity, there was a significant statistical difference between normal weight and obese girls according to their parental educational levels, where normal weight girls’ parents have higher educational levels than those of obese girls.
On studying the relation of obesity to behaviour problems, present sample showed higher percentages of learning problems, psychosomatic disorders, impulsive hyperactivity and anxiety, with lower percentage of conduct disorders and depression among obese group. However, the differences are not statistically significant.
In comparing anthropometric measurements according to vitamin D status there was no significant statistical difference. While, there was a high significant statistical difference when comparing anthropometric measurements as regard BMI.
Vitamin D defecint group as well as obese group showed higher mean levels of scaled score behavior problems but with in-significant statistical differences.
There was no correlation between vitamin D and whole studied parameters except for birth weight.
Regarding BMI, there were positive correlations with anthropometric measurements and birth weight.
Partial correlations were done excluding the effect of each of age, vitamin D and BMI with the same results.
CONCLUSION
F
rom the course of the study, it was concluded that vitamin D deficiency is a crucial health problem that has a high prevalence rates among both normal weight and obese children.
It was also concluded that, the absence of a significant relation between obesity and vitamin D deficiency and behaviour problems in prepubescent girls does not exclude their health hazards, but it may become more significant later on in advanced ages.
Birth weight has a significant positive correlation with both vitamin D and obesity.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Screening, prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency and obesity in this prepubertal age may lead to abrupt decrease in their prevalence and behavioural complications later on life.
It was recommended to:
• Encourage the educational programs to increase the awareness of the problems of vitamin D deficiency and obesity, their complications and how to prevent and manage among prepubescent children and their families.
• Healthy eating and regular physical activity should be encouraged by clinicians, schools and community authorities addressing young children and their whole family stressing on the future benefits of changing their unhealthy dietary behaviour and lifestyle to a healthier one.
• Further researches on larger scale to study the effect of vitamin D deficiency and obesity on behaviour problems in prepubescent period in both sexes.
• Follow up studies to assess effect of vitamin D deficiency and obesity on behaviour problems in children in prepubescent and post pubescent periods.