PhD defence: Vitamin D in young Danish children

Status determinants, requirements and effects on muscle strength and growth factors

Charlotte Mortensen

PhD thesis

Low vitamin D status is prevalent during winter among children living at northern latitudes. However, the exact amount of vitamin D required by children is currently unknown. Moreover, there is a knowledge gap when it comes to the potential health consequences of a low vitamin D status in children during winter.

In this PhD thesis, the relation between vitamin D intake and the concentration of vitamin D in the blood is examined, in order to estimate the requirement of vitamin D in children. Moreover, it is investigated if winter vitamin D supplementation has an effect on children’s muscle strength and selected growth factors.

The PhD thesis shows that muscle strength in healthy children aged 4-8 years is not influenced by a daily vitamin D supplementation during winter; however, the concentration of some growth factors is affected.

2018, 141 pages.

Time

28 September 2018, 13:00

Place

Aud. B011, University College Copenhagen, Sigurdsgade 26, 2200 Copenhagen N

Opponents 

Professor Susanne Bügel (chair), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Senior Scientist Rikke Andersen, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.

Associate Professor Hope Weiler, School of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Canada.

Supervisor

Associate Professor Camilla Trab Damsgaard, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Co-supervisors

Professor Christian Mølgaard, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Associate Professor Michael Kristensen, Department of Nursing & Nutrition, Faculty of Health, University College Copenhagen, Denmark.