title: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Saudi adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in healthy Saudi adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study carried out as part of the screening and early evaluation of kidney disease project. Vitamin D was measured in subjects recruited at 2 screening camps in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between March to May 2008. Subjects from the 2 large commercial centers in Riyadh aged ≥18 years and Saudi nationals were invited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study sample comprised of 488 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 37.43 (11.32) years, of which 50.2% (n=245) were males. Twenty-nine percent of subjects were in the vitamin D deficiency group, 22.7% were in the relative insufficiency group, and 47.5% had normal levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D. We observed that female gender was an independent predictor of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (odds ratio [OR]: 2.992; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 2.069-4.327). Anemia was also a predictor for vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (OR: 3.16; 95% CI 2.02-4.92). Age was positively correlated with vitamin D levels (Pearson correlation=0.183, p<0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is common in healthy Saudi adults. This is more pronounced in females and in the younger age groups. Wearing of traditional clothes, deliberate avoidance of the sun, and inadequate dietary intake are likely to be the principal causes of low vitamin D levels.
authors: Department of Medicine (38), King Saud University, PO Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (11) 4672398. Fax. +966 (11) 4671034. E-mail: suwaida@ksu.edu.sa.
authors: Abdulkareem O
authors: AO
authors: Alsuwadia
authors: Youssef M
authors: YM
authors: Farag
authors: Abdulla A
authors: AA
authors: Al Sayyari
authors: Dujanah H
authors: DH
authors: Mousa
authors: Fayez F
authors: FF
authors: Alhejaili
authors: Ali S
authors: AS
authors: Al-Harbi
authors: Abdulrahman A
authors: AA
authors: Housawi
authors: Bharati V
authors: BV
authors: Mittal
authors: Ajay K
authors: AK
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D