Table 4.
Sun exposure patterns in the children with asthma according to vitamin D level (n = 60).
| Variable | N (%) | Sufficient | Insufficient | Deficient | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun exposure, yes, n (%) | 49 (82) | 23 (48) | 13 (26) | 13 (26) | 0.912 |
| Time of sun exposure, yes, n (%) | |||||
| Morning 6–10 a.m | 23 (47) | 11 | 6 | 6 | 0.838 |
| Midday 11–3 p.m | 7 (14) | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Evening 4–6 p.m | 19 (39) | 10 | 4 | 5 | |
| Duration of sun exposure, yes, n (%) | |||||
| ≤ 10 min | 24 (49) | 8 (35) | 8 (62) | 8 (62) | 0.174‡ |
| ≥ 10 min | 25 (51) | 15 (60) | 5(20) | 5 (20) | |
| Parts of sun exposure, yes, n (%) | |||||
| Single body part | 28 (57) | 8 (35) | 11(85) | 9 (69) | 0.009‡ |
| ≥ 2 parts | 21 (43) | 15 (65) | 2 (15)* | 4 (31) | |
Categorical variables were expressed as numbers and percentages. Children who were never exposed to the sun were excluded (n = 11).
*Denotes significance with respect to sufficient level using Fisher’s exact test (P = 0.008).
‡Indicates the use of Pearson’s chi-square test (linear by linear correlation) to compare variables because the expected cell count was more than five (P < 0.05). Fisher’s exact test (two-sided) Bonferroni’s correction (P = 0.0167).