PP245 - AGE AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES IN BLOOD VITAMIN CONCENTRATIONS AMONG A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN SWITZERLAND: THE MENUCH-KIDS STUDY AND THE VITAKIDS PROJECT
PP245
AGE AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES IN BLOOD VITAMIN CONCENTRATIONS AMONG A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN SWITZERLAND: THE MENUCH-KIDS STUDY AND THE VITAKIDS PROJECT
V. A. Bertoni Maluf1,*, E. Hillesheim1, M.-C. Antoniou2,3, L. Bhering Martins4, J. Vincentini5,6, A. Siegfried-Troxler7, C. Akre5,6, P. Marques-Vidal3,6, S. Rezzi4, M. Bochud5,6, A. Chatelan1
1Nutrition and Dietetics, Geneva School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western, Geneva, Switzerland, 2P&A Kyriakou Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece, 3Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, 4Swiss Nutrition and Health Foundation, Epalinges, 5Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health, 6University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 7Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Bern, Switzerland
Rationale: Blood vitamin concentrations are key indicators of vitamin status in children and adolescents (CA) and may vary with growth and socioeconomic environment. We assessed differences by age groups and quintiles of the Swiss neighborhood index of socioeconomic position (Swiss-SEP).
Methods: Blood samples from CA aged 6–17 years were obtained in the Swiss nationally representative menuCH-Kids 2023–24 survey. Serum vitamins D (25(OH)D), B9 (folate), B12 (cobalamin) and β-carotene, and plasma vitamins A (retinol), B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B6 (pyridoxal 5’-phosphate) were measured. Missing values (1.7-5.8%) were median-imputed by sex and age groups. Associations of age group (6–12 vs 13–17 years) with log-transformed vitamin concentrations were assessed using weighted linear regression adjusted for sex and dietary supplement use. Within age groups, differences by Swiss-SEP (quintiles) were tested with linear trends.
Results: The sample included 848 CA (weighted N=555’720, 50% girls). Overall, 478 were ≤12 and 370 >12 years. Supplement use was reported by 24.8%. Compared with those >12 years, children ≤12 years had higher concentrations of vitamins D (β=0.12), B2 (β=0.28), B9 (β=0.38), B12 (β=0.15) and β-carotene (β=0.16) (all p<0.001). Conversely, vitamin A was lower in children aged ≤12 years (β=−0.22, p<0.001). No differences were observed for B1 and B6. Vitamin A decreased with higher Swiss-SEP in ≤12 years (β=-0.01 per quintile increase, p=0.03) and B1 tended to decrease in >12 years (β=-0.02, p=0.05). Other vitamins were not associated with SEP.
Conclusion: Younger children had higher concentrations of most vitamins than adolescents, while vitamin A was lower. Swiss-SEP showed limited influence. These findings may reflect differences in diet and lifestyles, which will be further investigated.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared