{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nCommunity-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an important cause of pediatric hospitalization and severe respiratory illness. Vitamin D has recognized roles in skeletal health and immune regulation, but its relationship with pneumonia severity in children remains uncertain. This study evaluated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in hospitalized children with CAP and explored its association with disease severity and clinical outcomes.Methods\n\nThis single-center prospective observational cohort study included 100 hospitalized children aged 2 months to 15 years with radiographically confirmed CAP at a tertiary pediatric referral hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Pneumonia severity was classified as mild/moderate or severe according to British Thoracic Society criteria. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, inflammatory markers, clinical features, radiographic findings, hospitalization duration, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality were assessed. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D <30 nmol/L.Results\n\nSeventy-four children had mild/moderate pneumonia and 26 had severe pneumonia. Severe cases had lower oxygen saturation, more extensive radiographic involvement, longer hospitalization, and more frequent PICU admission. Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 21.8 ± 7.6 nmol/L in the severe group and 25.2 ± 10.1 nmol/L in the mild/moderate group (mean difference, -3.4 nmol/L; 95% CI, -7.2 to 0.4; p = 0.079). Vitamin D deficiency occurred in 92.3% and 78.4% of severe and mild/moderate cases, respectively (p = 0.144). After adjustment, lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D was not clearly associated with severe pneumonia.Conclusion\n\nVitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among hospitalized children with CAP, but admission 25-hydroxyvitamin D was not clearly associated with pneumonia severity. The relatively small hospitalized cohort and wide confidence intervals limit the strength and generalizability of these findings. Larger prospective studies with more complete assessment of nutritional, seasonal, clinical, and socioeconomic confounders are needed.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Zahra Mardani Azari Children's Educational and Treatment Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.",
    "Clinical Research Development Unit, Zahra Mardani Azari Children's Educational and Treatment Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.",
    "Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Zahra Mardani Azari Children's Educational and Treatment Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.",
    "Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Babak Abdinia"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Azar Dastranji"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yousef Abedifard"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Sajjad Pourasghary",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1176-583X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6e0br8evq03s3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.2147/phmt.s645000",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13685826",
  "id": "6e0br8evq03s3",
  "issns": [
    "1179-9927"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910265",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2734|Vitamin D Research Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222784960",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13685826?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13685826",
  "pmid": "42910265",
  "published": "2026-10-17",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6e0br8evq03s3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42910265",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910265"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2734|Vitamin D Research Studies",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Vitamin D Deficiency Among Hospitalized Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Prevalence and Association with Disease Severity.",
  "title_text": "Vitamin D Deficiency Among Hospitalized Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Prevalence and Association with Disease Severity.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6e0br8evq03s3",
  "venue": "Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics",
  "versions": []
}