Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone homeostasis. Although short-stature children were reported to have low vitamin D concentrations, there is no clear evidence of a link between vitamin D and height growth in young children not limited to those with short stature. We collected height and weight data at 2 and 4 years of age, serum vitamin D concentrations at 4 years, and questionnaire results on sun exposure from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). We then analyzed the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and height growth. We also analyzed the correlation between serum vitamin D concentration and sun exposure. Overall, 3624 participants from JECS were analyzed. We identified cases of subclinical vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. We further found that definitive vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL) impaired height growth by 0.6 cm per year even in young children not limited to those with short stature. Furthermore, we clarified that children with vitamin D deficiency had reduced outdoor activity, especially during winter. In children with either short or normal stature, definitive vitamin D deficiency was associated with height growth decline, and reduction in outdoor activity, especially during winter, was a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency.
Keywords: child health; height growth; sun exposure; vitamin D.