Risk Factors of Vitamin D Insufficiency/Deficiency among a sample of Egyptian Females in Child Bearing Period

Risk Factors of Vitamin D Insufficiency/Deficiency among a sample of Egyptian Females in Child Bearing Period

 

Ghada Essam Aldin  (1,2), Maivel Emile Soby Gerges (1), Inas Abd El Rahim Ali (3), Diaa Marzok Abdel Hamid (1), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,2)

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Cairo, Egypt.

3. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology MUST, Giza, Egypt.

 

Current Research in Public Health, 2024, 4, 867

 

DOI: 10.31586/crph.2024.867

 

Abstract:

 

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in the development of bone health and possibly non-communicable diseases. Arab countries had made their own national studies to assess serum vitamin D level among women, yet in Egypt there is no national survey done. The aim of the current study was to identify risk factors affecting vitamin D level among Egyptian females during the child-bearing period. Subjects and methods: A total of 100 healthy adult females in their childbearing period who were attending a Family Medicine Center were included in our study. The age of the included women ranged from 19 to 49 years old with a mean age of 34 (SD 8.47) years. The majority of participants had deficiency (43%) and insufficiency (13%) of vitamin D level. Results: Unemployed women were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency than employed women (P<0.05). Participants who were exposed to sun ˃30 minutes/day were more likely to have sufficient vitamin D level (P<0.05). All participants who consume fish ≥3 times/week had sufficient vitamin D level. Therefore, there was a statistically significance association between a number of consuming fish/week and vitamin D3 level groups. Also, there was statistically significant association between number of consumed milk cups/day and vitamin D3 level groups. All participants who drink 2 cups of milk have sufficient vitamin D level. No statistically significance association was found between using multivitamins and vitamin D3 level groups. Conclusion: Unemployment, low fish consumption and infrequent sun exposure were significant risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Future research on the role of multivitamins supplements in improving vitamin D nutrition is warranted.

 

Keywords: Vitamin D, Sun Exposure, Nutrition, Employment, Women, Egypt.

 

Essam Aldin Amin, G., Soby Gerges, M. E., Abd El Rahim Ali, I., Marzok Abdel Hamid, D., & Allam, M. F. (2024). Risk Factors of Vitamin D Insufficiency/Deficiency among a sample of Egyptian Females in Child Bearing Period. Current Research in Public Health, 4(1), 1-12.

 

https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/CRPH/article/view/867