STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Children with vitamin D deficiency between the ages of 5 and 12 years were 1.8 times as likely to display behavior problems in later childhood, when they were 11 to 18 years old
- “Externalizing” problems, such as aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors, were more common in adolescents who were vitamin D deficient as children
- Low levels of vitamin D binding protein, which transport vitamin D in the blood, were also linked to aggressive behavior and symptoms of anxiety and depressive mood compared to higher levels
- In separate research, lower vitamin D status was associated with increased emotional problems, peer relationship issues and behavioral difficulties among children
