scholarly journals KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AMONG THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES POPULATION

Author(s):  
OSAMA MOHAMED IBRAHIM ◽  
NOOR KIFAH AL-TAMEEMI ◽  
DALIA DAWOUD

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the Vitamin D deficiency awareness and perceptions between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among the population of two emirates at the UAE: Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Results: Overall, 434 participants completed the survey. Majority of people were aware of phenomenon of Vitamin D deficiency, but only 21.4% of them knew that sunlight is considered the main source of Vitamin D. Moreover, less than half of participants check their Vitamin D blood level regularly and around 55% of them follow-up with their physicians after completing the treatment. High proportion of participant females spend <1 h outdoors (60%) and use sunscreen daily (55%) that cause higher prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency among females than males (83% vs. 42%). Conclusion: This research gives some insights regarding the UAE population’s awareness and perceptions of Vitamin D insufficiency. Decreased awareness of sunlight exposure as a major source of Vitamin D, in addition to lifestyle, contributed to Vitamin D deficiency problem among the UAE population, in general, and in females, in particular.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 667-675
Author(s):  
Natércia Neves Marques de Queiroz ◽  
Franciane Trindade Cunha de Melo ◽  
Fabrício de Souza Resende ◽  
Luísa Corrêa Janaú ◽  
Norberto Jorge Kzan de Souza Neto ◽  
...  

Objective: Investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in an equatorial population through a large-sample study. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 30,224 healthy individuals from the North Region, in Brazil (Amazônia – state of Pará), who had 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) serum levels measured by immunoassay method. Those with history of acute or chronic diseases were excluded. Abnormal levels of calcium, creatinine, glycemia and albumin were also exclusion criteria. Results: 25(OH)D levels were 29.1 ± 8.2 ng/mL and values <12.7 ng/mL were equal to < −2 s.d. below average. Hypovitaminosis D was present in 10% of subjects according to the Institute of Medicine (values <20 ng/mL) and in 59%, in consonance with Endocrine Society (values 20–30 ng/mL as insufficiency and <20 ng/mL as deficiency) criteria. Individuals were divided according to four age brackets: children, adolescents, adults and elderly, and their 25(OH)D levels were: 33 ± 9; 28.5 ± 7.4; 28.3 ± 7.7; 29.3 ± 8.5 ng/mL, respectively. All groups differed in 25(OH)D, except adolescents vs adults. Regression model showed BMI, sex, living zone (urban or rural) and age as independent variables to 25(OH)D levels. Comparing subjects with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) to those with vitamin D insufficiency (20–30 ng/mL), a difference between PTH levels in these two groups was observed (95.9 ± 24.7 pg/mL vs 44.2 ± 64.5 pg/mL; P < 0.01). Additionally, the most accurate predictive vitamin D level for subclinical hyperparathyroidism in ROC curve was 26 ng/mL. Conclusion: Our equatorial population showed low prevalence of vitamin D hypovitaminosis ranging with age bracket. The insufficient category by Endocrine Society was corroborated by our PTH data.


Author(s):  
Doaa K. Mohorjy ◽  
Iman Kamal Ramadan ◽  
Bahaa A. Abalkhail ◽  
Khalid M. Jaamal

Background: Vitamin D is essential for bone physical condition, and vitamin D insufficiency may add to further autoimmune diseases, infections or even cancer. Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs have been predominantly linked with osteoporosis hazard proved their impacts on vitamin D. The study aim was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency and the covariates associated with it among the adult epileptic patients attending King Fahd neurology outpatient clinics. Subjects and Methods: 297 adult epilepsy patients joined this cross-sectional study at King Fahd Hospital in 2017. Vitamin D level was considered as deficiency (<10ng/ml), insufficiency (<30ng/ml), or normal (≥30ng/ml). Antiepileptic drugs were sorted out according to their enzyme inducing criteria. Results: 87.88% adult epileptic patients were between 18 – 50 years of age, more than half were females, married, and with higher degree of education, less than half received monthly income of less than 5,000 SR, nearly two third were either smokers or ex-smokers. Multiple linear regression model for predictors of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency declared that; enzyme induced antiepileptic drugs, polytherapy, and smoking were significantly correlated with vitamin deficiency and insufficiency (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is widespread among adult epileptic patients. Screening of vitamin D level should be taken into consideration as part of the regular follow up of epileptic patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 407-412
Author(s):  
Irina Yu. Pronina ◽  
Nikolay N. Murashkin ◽  
Svetlana G. Makarova ◽  
Elena L. Semikina ◽  
Dmitry S. Yasakov ◽  
...  

Background. Children with congenital epidermolysis bullosa (CEB) can have vitamin D deficiency due to its malabsorption in intestine and reduced synthesis in skin as these patients have restrictions on staying in the sun. However, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency among patients with CEB remains not fully studied due to the small samples' sizes in previously studies. Objective. Our aim was to study vitamin D provision in children with CEB. Methods. The study included children aged from 3 to 18 years old with simplex and dystrophic types of CEB hospitalized in our department. The serum level of 25(OH)D was determined via chemiluminescence immunoassay. Vitamin D deficiency was established at 25(OH)D concentration of 20-30 ng/ml, deficiency — < 10-20 ng/ml, deep deficiency — < 10 ng/ml. Results. The study included 129 children with CEB (62 (48%) males, median age 6 (3; 10) years). 101 patients had dystrophic type of disease, 28 — simplex. The median 25(OH)D serum concentration in children with CEB was 21.7 (13.0; 36.6) ng/ml. Vitamin D insufficiency was revealed in 36 (28%) patients, deficiency — in 38 (29%), deep deficiency — in 16 (12%). Independent predictors of 25(OH)D concentration were the type of CEB (concentration was higher in children with simplex type) and age (negative association), but not the patients' gender and the examination season, according to multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion. The study has shown low level of vitamin D provision in children with CEB, whilst 25(OH)D concentration depended on the type of disease and the age of patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 605-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. B. van Orten-Luiten ◽  
A. Janse ◽  
R. A. M. Dhonukshe-Rutten ◽  
R. F. Witkamp

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Samuel Asamoah Sakyi ◽  
Maxwell Hubert Antwi ◽  
Linda Ahenkorah Fondjo ◽  
Edwin Ferguson Laing ◽  
Richard K. Dadzie Ephraim ◽  
...  

Background. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone important for the normal functioning of the body. It is produced through skin exposure to sunlight and from the diet. Although Ghana is located in the tropics where sunlight is abundant, factors like culture, diet, skin pigmentation, variation in the ozone layer, and geographical area influence the optimization of vitamin D concentration. It is imperative to evaluate the interplay between sunshine exposure, proinflammatory cytokines, and mediators of vitamin D metabolism and their relationship to vitamin D status in three geographical sections among apparent healthy Ghanaians. Methods and Results. In a cross-sectional study, a total of five hundred (500) healthy blood donors from three geographical areas in Ghana were enrolled. Their age ranged from 17 to 55 years with a mean age of 27.97 ± 8.87 years. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 43.6% (218/500), with 41.2% (91/221), 45.3% (63/139), and 45.7% (64/140) of vitamin D deficiency being recorded in participants from the Northern Sector (NS), Middle Belt (MB), and Southern Sector (SS), respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the proportions of vitamin D deficiency across various geographical sectors. The median 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels were compared among geographical areas (NS, MB, and SS) and there were no significant differences ( P = 0.275 ) after adjusting for confounding factors. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D correlated positively with corrected ionized calcium (rs = 0.622, P ≤ 0.001 ) and phosphorus (rs = 0.299, P ≤ 0.001 ) and negatively correlated with SBP (rs = −0.092, P = 0.039 ), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) (rs = −0.421, P ≤ 0.001 ), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (rs = −0.0568, rs ≤ 0.001), IFN-gamma (rs = −0.684, P ≤ 0.001 ), and TNF-alpha (rs = −0.600, P ≤ 0.001 ). After adjusting for possible confounders, not having knowledge about vitamin D foods, taking fewer vitamin D foods, and higher levels of IF-γ and IL-10 were associated with a higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is high among the general adult population in Ghana despite the abundance of sunlight. Increasing knowledge on vitamin D diet coupled with a daily intake of vitamin D dietary supplements is likely to reduce the risk of developing 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document