Prevalence, Risk Factors, and relation of Vitamin D Deficiency with Bone Health Markers in Baghdad among Women of Reproductive Age

Abstract

The countries in the Middle East are very prone to the deficiency of vitamin D despite the excessive amount of sunlight, which is strange when considering the fact that the culture of the country restricts the exposure to the sun. The hypothesis of the cross-sectional research was to establish the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency among the reproductive-aged women (18-45 years) and how this condition was correlated with the bone health indicators. Between March and September 2024, 280 women who visit outpatient clinics at Baghdad Teaching Hospital were enrolled with the help of the convenience sampling method. Measurements were done on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as parathyroid hormone (PTH). Structured questionnaires were used to gather information on sun exposure, dietary intake and physical activity. Findings indicated overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D <20 ng/mL) of 72.5% (n=203), severe deficiency (25(OH)D <10 ng/mL) of 28.2% and deficiency (10-19.9 ng/mL) of 44.3% with insufficiency (20-29.9 ng/mL) of 19.3% and sufficient levels (30 ng/mL Wearing full covering clothing, limited outdoor activity, low dietary vitamin D intake and multiparity were significant risk factors (aOR= 3.42, p=0.001, aOR= 2.64, p=0.001, aOR= 2.18, p=0.003, aOR= 1.86, p=0.012, respectively). Weak women possessed much more PTH and ALP and less calcium. Such findings show that there is an urgent need of public health interventions such as supplementation programs and awareness programs.