Prevalence and Correlates of Vitamin D Inadequacy in a Sample of Iraqi People

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D had been identified as a common metabolic/endocrine abnormality. Middle East
countries had a very high rate of vitamin D inadequacy, vitamin D deficiency was associated with noncommunicable and infectious diseases.
Objective : To identify the prevalence of Vitamin D level and its correlates among Iraqi people in Al-Hilla
city-Babylon province
Methods :. A cross?sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of individuals from all age groups
and both genders who attended eight primary health care centers and individuals in Al?Hilla city\Babylon
province\Iraq, the study period was started from May through October , 2019. A pretested questionnaire was
used for data collection , the questionnaire included information regarding socio demographic characteristics
of participants and their history of chronic diseases. The following measurements were done: level of serum
vitamin D , blood pressure, blood sugar , body weight and weight and the serum of vitamin D .
Results: The sample included 188 participants their mean age was 64.8 ± 17.25 years.The female to male
ratio 1.7:1, More than half of participants (56%) resident in urban areas . Vitamin D mean level was (20.7
ng/mL ± 14.9 SD). The vast majority (80%) of the sample have vitamin D inadequacy in which (66% have
deficiency and 14% have insufficiency), while 37 (20%) of the sample have vitamin D adequacy.
A significant inverse relationship between vitamin D serum level and hypertension, type two diabetes
mellitus, increase body weight.
Conclusion: there was a high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy among Iraqi people mainly in females,
a significant association between low vitamin D level and hypertension, type two diabetes mellitus, and
obesity.