Vitamin D deficiency in Jordanian children with bronchial asthma : a cross sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background : Asthma is the most common chronic diseases that affect children and its prevalence is increasing worldwide posing a great burden on healthcare systems. A growing body of evidence suggests an association between vitamin D deficiency and asthma. The current study aimed to assess serum vitamin D level in Jordanian children with bronchial asthma and to examine the correlation between vitamin D levels and asthma severity and control. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the Pediatric Chest Clinic at AlKarak Governmental Hospital South of Jordan from May 2015 to February 2016. Serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D was determined for 98 Children aged 1 to 14 years and diagnosed with bronchial asthma (6-14years) or recurrent wheezing episodes(<6 years). The severity of asthma was determined based on the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) assessment, the Asthma Control test (ACT) and the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). The results were considered significant if P ≤.05. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21 (IBM, Armonk, NY, United States of America, 2012). Results : Vitamin D levels were deficient and insufficient in 41(41.8%) and 34(34.7%) of asthmatic children, respectively. Only 23( 23.5%) had sufficient vitamin D levels. A significant correlation was found between the severity of asthma symptoms and vitamin D deficiency (Pearson Chi-squared=.028). Conclusion : Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in children with bronchial asthma in Jordanian population and correlates significantly with asthma severity. Assessment of vitamin D levels in children with bronchial asthma is required in a larger scale studies in Jordan.