Year-round vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 544 - 548
• Main Authors: Kanan, Raed M, Al Saleh, Yousef M, Fakhoury, Hana M, Adham, Maysoon, Aljaser, Saleh, Tamimi, Waleed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.03.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Dietary Supplements; Female; Females; Humans; Liquid chromatography; Medical sciences; Menopause; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Outpatients; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Retrospective Studies; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Seasons; Special groups; Summer; Ultraviolet radiation; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin deficiency; Winter; Young Adult; Saudi Arabia; Asia; Riyadh Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; Female; Out-patients; Vitamin D; Human; Steroid hormone; Nutrition disorder; Summer; Patient; Hospitalization; Health service; 2009; Clinic; Objective; Goal; Winter; Medical record; Hospital; Season; Age; Nutritional status; Multidisciplinary; Public health
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980012002947

The aim of the present study was to investigate vitamin D status among female out-patients in Saudi Arabia during the summer and winter seasons. Data were retrospectively collected using medical record abstraction. A multidisciplinary hospital in Riyadh between January and December 2009. Saudi females (age ≥19 years; n 1556) attending out-patient clinics for various complaints comprised the studied population. The population was subdivided into two groups depending on the date of their visit where blood samples were collected: summer (n 659) and winter groups (n 897). The summer group was further subdivided into premenopausal (age 19-49 years; n 425) and postmenopausal subgroups (age ≥50 years; n 234). Similarly, the winter group was subdivided into premenopausal (n 543) and postmenopausal subgroups (n 354). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using HPLC. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/l) was high in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups (80 % and 68 %, respectively) during the summer, as well as during the winter (85 % and 76 %, respectively). A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Saudi female out-patients was observed throughout the year despite the routine supplementation with 10-20 μg vitamin D3 for postmenopausal women. Clinicians should seriously consider determining the vitamin D status of Saudi females routinely and prescribing them proper supplementation.