[Comparative assessment of students' vitamin D, B12, C, calcium, and iron intake, depending on the season and gender].

UNLABELLED: Vitamin and mineral status disorders are widespread among students and are characterized by pronounced seasonal variability, which can contribute to the development of metabolic disorders. The objective of the research was a comparative assessment of students' vitamin D, B12, C, calcium, and iron status, taking into account seasonal and gender differences.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 178 students (51 males and 127 females; age 19.9 [19.7; 20.2] years). The study was conducted in two stages: in spring (n=88) and in autumn (n=90). Blood plasma level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], vitamins B12 and C was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and calcium and iron plasma level was evaluated on an automatic biochemical analyzer. Nonparametric statistical methods, Spearman correlation analysis and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used.

RESULTS

The level of 25(OH)D was 1.9 fold higher in autumn than in spring (19.1 [16.5;22.7] vs 10.1 [8.1;14.6] ng/ml, p<0.001): the proportion of individuals with deficiency was 65.6% and 90.9%, respectively (p<0.001). In contrast, the level of vitamin B12 was 4.5 fold higher in spring (898.7 [590.9;1054.9] vs 200.9 [133.6; 287.4] pg/ml, p<0.001); deficiency was detected only in autumn in 44.4% of individuals (p<0.001). The level of vitamin C and calcium was within the reference values in 91.1-98.9% of the examined individuals, but it was higher in autumn than in spring by 25% (p<0.001) and 4% (р=0.002), respectively. The level of iron did not change seasonally, and it was 1.5 times higher in males than in females (18.5 [11.5; 21.8] vs 12.8 [9.1; 17.7] μmol/L, p<0.001). The proportion of individuals with reduced iron levels was 29.9-43.3% among females and 10.0-19.0% among males. The analysis of variance showed that the season was a significant factor for vitamins D, B12, and C (p<0.001), while gender was significant only for iron (p<0.001). The interaction between gender and season was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

The season is a leading factor in determining the levels of vitamins D, B12, and C in students; gender is associated primarily with iron levels. The findings support the need to consider seasonal and gender-specific factors in assessing and preventing micronutrient deficiencies.