Professional paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31895/hcptbn.21.si12.4

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND VITAMIN D LEVEL IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES

Lucija Mitrović ; Children's Hospital Zagreb, Klaićeva 16, Zagreb, Croatia *
Lucija Krog ; Children's Hospital Zagreb, Klaićeva 16, Zagreb, Croatia
Anita Špehar Uroić ; Children's Hospital Zagreb, Klaićeva 16, Zagreb, Croatia
Tena Niseteo ; Children's Hospital Zagreb, Klaićeva 16, Zagreb, Croatia

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Growth and development during childhood and adolescence are complex processes which are regulated by hormonal, nutritional and environmental factors. Diabetes mellitus type 1(DMT1) is a chronic autoimmune condition with increasing prevalence in the last few decades both in adults and in children and adolescents. Linear growth in children is in correlation with poor control of glycaemia and children with DMT1 are at risk of malnutrition and reduced growth. Therefore, it is crucial to diagnose DMT1 in children as early as possible and to start the treatment and dietary therapy on time. The major public health problem is also deficiency of vitamin D in general population, and studies have shown that there is a connection between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and DMT1. This is retrospective study in which parameters, such as body mass (BM), body height (BH) and levels of vitamin D in the blood, were recorded in 91 subjects with the average age 13.7 years, suffering from DMT1, who were treated in the Children's Hospital Zagreb in the period 2020-2024. The average value of BM of the subjects was 56.1 kg (average z-score = 0.52), the average BH was 161.3 cm (average z-score = 0.53), and the average vitamin D level in the serum was 57.1 nmol/L (reference value >75 nmol/L). From the total number of subjects n = 5 (5.5 %) was malnourished, n = 59 (64.8%) had adequate nutrition status and n =27 (29.7%) was obese. The results have also shown that, from the total number of subjects, n = 78 (85.8 %) patients had vitamin D deficiency, with vitamin D levels lower than 75 nmol/L. Majority of subjects are adequately nourished and have adequate BH, however almost 1/3 of patients are obese. Surprisingly, more than 85 % of patients had lower vitamin D. In regard to the results, children with DMT1 should be monitored by nutritionist as global problem of obesity and vitamin D deficiency effects this patient group also.

Keywords

Diabetes mellitus type 1; paediatric patients; malnourishment; obesity; vitamin D status

Hrčak ID:

350860

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/350860

Publication date:

1.6.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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