Associations Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Metabolic Syndrome Among Korean Adolescents: Based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2022–2023

TL;DR

This study finds that low vitamin D levels in Korean adolescents are linked to obesity indicators but not other metabolic issues.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into vitamin D's role in adolescent obesity within a Korean population.

Findings

62.4% of Korean adolescents had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL).

Higher vitamin D levels were inversely linked to obesity indicators like BMI and waist circumference.

Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher odds of obesity markers but not metabolic syndrome.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D is a nutrient involved not only in bone metabolism but also in metabolic functions, and deficiency is common during adolescence. This study aimed to describe the distribution of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels among Korean adolescents and to examine their associations with metabolic syndrome and its individual components. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2022–2023 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Adolescents aged 10–18 years with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements were included (unweighted N = 880). Weighted analyses were performed by categorizing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels into quartiles. Associations between vitamin D quartiles and anthropometric and metabolic parameters were examined using complex-sample general linear models, and odds ratios for metabolic syndrome and its individual components according to vitamin D deficiency were estimated using complex-sample logistic regression models. Results: Weighted prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 62.4%, higher in females than males. Higher 25(OH)D quartiles were inversely associated with obesity-related indices, including BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio, after full adjustment (p for trend < 0.05). No significant associations were observed for blood pressure, fasting glucose, or lipid parameters. In dichotomous analyses (<20 vs. ≥20 ng/mL), vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher odds of waist circumference ≥ 90th percentile (OR 2.59), waist-to-height ratio > 0.5 (OR 2.63), and BMI ≥ 95th percentile (OR 1.89), while metabolic syndrome was not significant. Conclusions: Vitamin D appears to play an important role in metabolic health in adolescents and was particularly associated with general and central obesity.

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