ArticleBMC public health2014
Skin pigmentation, sun exposure and vitamin D levels in children of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
Article in BMC public health, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- High-dose oral vitamin D supplementation for prevention of infections in children aged 0 to 59 months: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutrition reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Vitamin D Food Fortification and Nutritional Status in Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · 2019Pooled it
- Improving Diversity in a Novel Psoriasis Study: VISIBLE as a Framework for Clinical Trial Quality Improvement.JAMA dermatology · 2025Trial
- Sun-Exposed Skin Color Is Associated with Changes in Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Children.The Journal of nutrition · 2016Trial
- Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Actinic Keratosis. What is New for The Management for Sun-Damaged Skin.Dermatology practical & conceptual · 2024Review
- The Skin-Brain Axis: From UV and Pigmentation to Behaviour Modulation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Cross-ancestry analyses identify new genetic loci associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D.PLoS genetics · 2023Article
- Results of longitudinal Nutri-D study: factors influencing winter and summer vitamin D status in a Caucasian population.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Article
- Melanin levels in relation to vitamin D among first-generation immigrants from different ethnic groups and origins: A comparative national Canadian cross-sectional study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- The correlation between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels and anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibody levels among cancer patients receiving COVID-19 vaccines.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Article
- Epidemiology and Determinants of Vitamin D Deficiency in Eastern Nepal: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of endocrinology · 2022Article
- Review
- Investigating DNA methylation as a potential mediator between pigmentation genes, pigmentary traits and skin cancer.Pigment cell & melanoma research · 2021Article
- Recommendations on the measurement and the clinical use of vitamin D metabolites and vitamin D binding protein - A position paper from the IFCC Committee on bone metabolism.Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry · 2021Review
- Vitamin D Status in Children in Greece and Its Relationship with Sunscreen Application.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Genetic loci associated with skin pigmentation in African Americans and their effects on vitamin D deficiency.PLoS genetics · 2021Article
- Unraveling the roles of vitamin D status and melanin during Covid‑19 (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2021Review
- Serum vitamin D is associated with improved lung function markers but not with prevalence of asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.Scientific reports · 2020Article
- Vitamin D level and it is association with the severity of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients attended to Kosti Teaching Hospital, Sudan.AIMS microbiology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIt has been hypothesised that light skin pigmentation has arisen to ensure adequate levels of vitamin D as human populations moved out of Africa and into higher latitudes. Vitamin D, which is primarily obtained through exposure to sunlight (specifically ultraviolet radiation B (UVR-B)), has been inversely associated with several complex diseases. Greater sun exposure, on the other hand, is a well-known cause of skin cancer. The potential of UVR to be beneficial for some health outcomes but detrimental for others has prompted a public health debate on how to balance the positive and negative consequences of sun exposure. In this study we aimed to determine the validity of the evolutionary hypothesis linking lighter skin with higher vitamin D concentrations in a European population. Additionally, we aimed to examine the influence of pigmentation on personal behaviour towards sunlight exposure and the effects of this behaviour on vitamin D.
methodsWe combined genetic variants strongly associated with skin colour, tanning or freckling to create genetic scores for each of these phenotypes. We examined the association of the scores with pigmentary traits, sun exposure and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels among children of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, N = 661 to 5649).
resultsWe found that fairer-skinned children, i.e. those with higher pigmentation score values, had higher levels of 25(OH)D (0.6 nmol/l; 95% CI 0.2, 1.0; per unit increase in skin colour score; N = 5649). These children also used more protection against the damaging effects of UVR.
conclusionsIn this population taking protective measures against sunburn and skin cancer does not seem to remove the positive effect that having a less pigmented skin has on vitamin D production. Our findings require further replication as skin pigmentation showed only a small effect on circulating 25(OH)D.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.