Illuminating the dark side--vitamin D status in different localities of Karachi.
This study was conducted to determine the association between place of residence (grouped into neighbourhoods), and 25-hydroxy D (25[OH]D) levels of individuals of Karachi. Addresses of 4788 individuals tested for 25[OH]D at the clinical laboratory of the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, from January 2007 to June 2008 were reviewed. The neighbourhoods were categorized into ten, based on locality attributes. A high overall prevalence (74%) of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was observed. There was a significant difference (p-value < 0.01) between mean log 25[OH]D levels amongst neighbourhoods grouped according to distinct housing structure attributes and localities. A high frequency of VDD in all the studied localities of an urban city warrant dietary vitamin D supplementation and food fortification.
Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Romaina
R
Iqbal
Lena
L
Jafri
Ali
A
Haroon
Aysha
A
Habib Khan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013472:Sunlight; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D