Table 2 Descriptive demographic, univariate risk factor and nutritional data for 232 East African migrant children and adolescents, and the association with vitamin D deficiency.
| Parameter (number (%) unless stated) | All children, n = 232 | 25‐OHD <25 nm/l, n = 103 (44%) | 25‐OHD ⩾25 nm/l n = 129 (56%) | Risk ratio* (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic data | ||||
| Mean (SD), age (years) | 8.9 (4.4) | 9.9 (4.5) | 8.2 (4.2) | Diff 1.7 (0.6 to 2.8)† |
| Female | 107 (46%) | 58 (56%) | 49 (38%) | 1.5 (1.1 to 2.0) |
| Univariate risk factors for VDD | ||||
| Median (IQR) months in Australia | 7.9 (3.2–35) | 10.7 (5–37) | 5.0 (2.3–25) | p = 0.0002‡ |
| Resident in Australia >6 months | 126 (54%) | 73 (71%) | 53 (41%) | 2.0 (1.5 to 2.9) |
| Exposed ⩽14 h daylight/week. | 95 (41%) | 57 (55%) | 38 (29%) | 1.8 (1.3 to 2.4) |
| With head cover | 62 (27%) | 48 (47%) | 14 (11%) | 2.4 (1.9 to 3.1) |
| Tested winter/spring | 103 (44%) | 66 (64%) | 37 (29%) | 2.2 (1.6 to 3.0) |
| Nutritional data | ||||
| Underweight for age | 15 (6%) | 7 (7%) | 8 (6%) | 1.1 (0.4 to 2.9) |
| Stunting (height for age) | 12 (5%) | 7 (7%) | 5 (4%) | 1.8 (0.6 to 5.4) |
| Overweight (BMI) | 11 (5%) | 5 (5%) | 6 (5%) | 1.0 (0.3 to 3.3) |
| Vitamin A deficiency | 46 (20%) | 30 (29%) | 16 (12%) | 1.7 (1.2 to 2.2) |
| Anaemia | 46 (20%) | 22 (21%) | 24 (19%) | 1.1 (0.8 to 1.5) |
| Iron deficiency | 45 (19%) | 17 (17%) | 28 (22%) | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.2) |
| Iron deficiency anaemia§ | 23 (10%) | 9 (9%) | 14 (11%) | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.5) |
*25‐OHD <25 nmol/l compared to ⩾25 nmol/l; †difference in mean (95% CI); ‡two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum (Mann‐Whitney) test; §anaemia with hypoferritinaemia.
BMI, body mass index; 95% CI, 95% confidence interval; IQR, interquartile range; 25‐OHD, 25‐hydroxyvitamin D; SD, standard deviation; VDD, vitamin D deficiency.