title: Comparison of vitamin D deficiency in Saudi married couples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in Saudi Arabia. The study objective was to compare vitamin D deficiency in Saudi married couples.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Royal Guard primary health care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a consecutive sample of 50 Saudi married couples attending the center without complaints related to vitamin D deficiency. Data were collected through an interview questionnaire addressing the risk factors and dietary habits. Quantitative determination of total 25-hydroxy vitamin D in blood was done by Electro-Chemical Luminescence assay. Fieldwork was carried out from December 2010 to January 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men had higher sun exposure (P = 0.001), more use of light clothes at home (P = 0.002) and more intake of milk (P = 0.023) and soft drinks (P = 0.001). Vitamin D was higher in men with mean difference about 9 nmol/l (P < 0.001). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/l) was 70% in women, compared with 40% in men (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified male gender, physical activity and the intake of milk as statistically significant positive independent predictors of vitamin D level, adjusted for factors as age, sun exposure, clothing, skin color, BMI, soft drinks and animal protein intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is very high among Saudi married couples, especially wives. Female gender is an independent predictor of lower vitamin D level, in addition to sedentary lifestyle and low milk consumption. There is a need to revise the levels set for the diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency in the study region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Riyadh Military Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Elshafie
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Al-Khashan
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mishriky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D003020:Clothing; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015444:Exercise; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D013472:Sunlight; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D