An Adapted Questionnaire Tailored for Assessing the Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children That Is Proving Useful in Guiding Clinical Interventions

Background: The identification of vitamin D (VitD) deficiency in pediatric populations is
essential for preventive healthcare. We refined and tested the Evaluation of Deficiency Questionnaire
(EVIDENCe-Q) for its utility in detecting VitD insufficiency among children. Patients and methods:
We enrolled 201 pediatric patients (aged between 3 and 18 years). Clinical evaluation and serum
vitamin D levels were assessed in all subjects. The EVIDENCe-Q was updated to incorporate
factors influencing VitD biosynthesis, intake, assimilation, and metabolism, with scores spanning
from 0 (optimal) to 36 (poor). Results: We established scores for severe deficiency (<10 mg/dL)
at 20, deficiency (<20 mg/dL) at 22, and insufficiency (<30 mg/dL) at 28. A score of 20 or greater
was determined as the optimal cut-off for distinguishing VitD deficient from sufficient statuses, as
evidenced by ROC curve analysis AUC = 0.7066; SE = 0.0841; sensitivity 100%, 95% CI 0.561–1.
The most accurate alignment was seen with VitD insufficiency, defined as 25-OH-D3 < 20 ng/mL.
Conclusions: This study confirms that the EVIDENCe-Q is a valid instrument for assessing the risk
of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in children. It offers a practical approach for determining
the need for clinical intervention and dietary supplementation of VitD in the pediatric population.