Authors:
Allen KL, Byrne SM, Kusel MM, Hart PH, Whitehouse AJ
Authors notes:
International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2013:online
Keywords:
Eating disorders, Epidemiology, Vitamin D, Pregnancy, Raine Study
Abstract:
To determine if maternal vitamin D concentrations at 18 weeks gestation predict offspring eating disorder risk in adolescence.
Maternal 25(OH)-vitamin D quartiles were a significant predictor of eating disorder risk in female offspring, in multivariate logistic regression models.
Vitamin D in the lowest quartile was associated with a 1.8-fold increase in eating disorder risk relative to concentrations in the highest quartile.
This association also accounted for the relationship between offspring season of birth and eating disorder risk.
Results were significant after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index and depressive symptoms.
This is the first study to link low gestational vitamin D to increased eating disorder risk in female offspring of Caucasian mothers.
Research is needed to extend these findings and to consider how gestational vitamin D may relate to the pathogenesis of eating disorders.