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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2020  |  Volume : 4  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 169-173

Serum Vitamin D levels and associated risk factors among libyan females living in Tripoli, Libya: A cross-sectional study


1 Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic Science, Libyan Academy, Janzour, Libya
2 Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
3 Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Animal Nutrition, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya
4 Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya

Correspondence Address:
Prof. Marwan Mustafa Draid
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli
Libya
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/LJMS.LJMS_64_20

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Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem and has been associated with religion, faith, caste, education, and socioeconomic status. Scientific evidence indicates that adequate levels of Vitamin D have important implications for the management of health problems. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency and associated risk factors among Libyan females. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 262 female patients presented with nonspecific musculoskeletal and bone pain at Seoul Hospital in Tripoli, Libya. Vitamin D status was measured and risk factors for Vitamin D deficiency were assessed. Results: The mean age ± standard error of mean (SEM) of participants was 40.8 ± 0.9 years (range 18-80 years). In general, approximately 87.7% of the patients (n = 262) have serum Vitamin D concentrations below normal (<30 ng/mL). The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration of patients was 13.98 ± 10.2 ng/ml. About 50.8% had 25(OH)D-levels <10 ng/mL which is characterized as severe Vitamin D deficiency, 27.5% had 25(OH)D-levels <20 ng/ml, defined as Vitamin D deficiency. About 9.1% of patients had insufficient Vitamin D, and only 12.6% had sufficient Vitamin D status defined as 25(OH)D-levels ≥30 ng/ml. Conclusions: Our data show that patients with generalized body aches, fatigue, and nonspecific bone pains, all have a significant relationship with Vitamin D deficiency strongly related to risk factors such as inadequate exposure to sunlight, wearing covering clothes, niqab, hijab, low dietary Vitamin D intake, and Vitamin D supplementation.


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