[Vitamin D deficiency in childhood: an opportunity for prevention]

Skeletal evidence of structural violence among undocumented migrants from Mexico and Central America

OBJECTIVES

We examine the prevalence and sociodemographic risk factors of skeletal indicators of stress in forensic samples of undocumented migrants from Mexico and Central America.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cranial and dental remains of 319 migrants recovered in the Arizona and Texas borderlands were assessed for porotic hyperostosis (PH), cribra orbitalia (CO), and linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH). Logistic regression models for each condition were estimated to test for associations with biological sex, age, recovery location, and whether individuals were identified. Additional models estimated for a subsample of identified migrants included region of origin, residential context, and community indigeneity.

RESULTS

The full sample shows moderate crude prevalence of CO (9.6%) and LEH (34.1%), and a high prevalence of PH (49.6%). Significantly higher odds of PH are associated with being male (2.16 times higher), unidentified (1.89 times higher), and recovered in Arizona (3.76 times higher). Among identified migrants, we fail to find associations significant at the p < 0.05 level between skeletal stress and all sociodemographic variables except age.

DISCUSSION

The factors associated with PH may be related to influences on decisions to migrate and diversity among migrant sending regions. The skeletal evidence for early life stress is generally consistent with common public health concerns among impoverished communities in the region. The lesions themselves are viewed as embodied risk of physiological disturbance when resource access is structured by higher-level social, economic, and political forces. Forensic anthropologists would benefit from increased sensitivity to embodied structural violence among the vulnerable individuals and communities they serve.

Potential immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D in the prevention of severe coronavirus disease 2019: An ally for Latin America (Review)

Currently, the world is under a pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This disease is characterized by a respiratory syndrome that can progress to an acute respiratory distress syndrome. To date, limited effective therapies are available for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19; therefore, it is necessary to propose novel treatment options with immunomodulatory effects. Vitamin D serves functions in bone health and has been recently reported to exert protective effects against respiratory infections. Observational studies have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and a poor prognosis of COVID-19; this is alarming as vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem. In Latin America, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is unknown, and currently, this region is in the top 10 according to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Supplementation with vitamin D may be a useful adjunctive treatment for the prevention of COVID-19 complications. The present review provides an overview of the current knowledge of the potential immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D in the prevention of COVID-19 and sets out vitamin D recommendations for the Latin American population.

Low Serum Vitamin D Concentrations Are Associated with Insulin Resistance in Mexican Children and Adolescents

Previous studies in the Mexican adult population have suggested a relationship between low levels of serum concentrations of serum vitamin D with impaired glucose tolerance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, regardless of the presence of obesity. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and the factors linked to insulin resistance. A total of 533 children and adolescents from the "Reference Values of Body Composition in the Pediatric Population of Mexico City" study are assessed. Body composition, dietary, and lifestyle data are obtained. Serum vitamin D, insulin, and glucose are also measured. Associations are tested using multiple linear and logistic regression models. Approximately 90% of children and adolescents in this study have sub-optimal vitamin D levels (<30 ng/mL). An inverse relationship between insulin resistance and serum vitamin D is observed (OR (odds ratios) = 2.9; 95% CI (95% confidence intervals): 1.1, 7.2; p-trend 0.03). Low serum vitamin D levels are associated with insulin resistance in the pediatric population. The present study provides additional evidence for the role of vitamin D in insulin resistance. Our findings suggest the supplementation of vitamin D may be helpful in preventing insulin resistance and subsequent diabetes.