Urbanization is known to offer numerous conveniences that tend to improve the standard of living in general. The World Bank in 2020 estimated urbanization in this region to be above 45% with the highest rate at 90% in Gabon and 17% in Malawi. Its population was estimated at 1.1 billion in 2019 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with more than 40% of this population estimated to be below the age of 15 years.
Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is an expansive area about 23,852,823 square kilometers in size that lies between latitudes 16 o N and 35 o S. While parents, healthcare professionals, coaches and caregivers of children in SSA need to promote sun exposure as the primary source of vitamin D, this perhaps also calls for further attention on Vitamin D supplementation, to support health and sports performance.
This chapter highlights the role of Vitamin D, its deficiency and implications on physical activity and sports performance with particular focus on children and adolescents, who are at a prime age for foundational development of motor function, skills and performance. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several health challenges, which in turn undermines normal growth, development, and potential physical and mental function likely to compromise performance of physical activity and sports. Serum Vitamin D levels in children in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) has been linked to inadequate exposure to sunlight, despite it straddling the equator that affords almost yearlong overhead sunshine. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is now recognized as a global issue impairing the health of more than 1 billion people Worldwide. Vitamin D is primarily synthesized dermally when sun rays directly strikes exposed skin.
These behavioral changes are also linked to spending less time in the Sun. Urbanization in Africa has led to lifestyles changes that undermine physical activity.
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