Assessment of vitamin D and vitamin A intake by female students at the United Arab Emirates University based on self-reported dietary and selected fortified food consumption.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), many adolescent girls and women (especially the UAE citizens) are not adequately exposed to sunlight and their dietary intake of vitamin D is insufficient to fulfill the required recommended daily allowance of the vitamin. In the present study, the problem of vitamin D and vitamin A insufficiency in female students of UAE University was investigated through a dietary intake assessment of the vitamins. Results indicated that over 70% of female students constituting the survey population did not consume enough milk and other vitamin-D-rich foods, and many showed poor food habits. Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among the population studied indicated that 37% of the total population was considered vitamin D insufficient and 40% of the female students residing in the hostels also had vitamin D insufficiency ( < 5 μg/day) based on self-reported dietary and selected fortified food consumption.
Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food & Agriculture, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. llaleye@uaeu.ac.ae
Louis C
LC
Laleye
Abdel Hamid
AH
Kerkadi
Abdulkadar Ah
AA
Wasesa
Madduri V
MV
Rao
Adam
A
Aboubacar
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014807:Vitamin D