TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of the vitamin D status and its determinants in young healthy students from Palestine

AU - Lenz, Janina Susann

AU - Tintle, Nathan

AU - Kerlikowsky, Felix

AU - Badrasawi, Manal

AU - Zahdeh, Rana

AU - Qasrawi, Radwan

AU - Hahn, Andreas

AU - Schuchardt, Jan Philipp

N1 - Funding Information: This work was partly supported by grants from the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, FKZ: 01DH19003) to A. H. and J. P. S.

PY - 2023/3/17

Y1 - 2023/3/17

N2 - The global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high. Poor vitamin D status, especially in women, has been reported in several countries in the Middle East despite adequate year-round sunlight for vitamin D synthesis. However, data on vitamin D status in Palestine are scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate vitamin D status based on serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25-(OH)D] among young healthy Palestinian students (18-27 years) and to assess associations between 25-(OH)D concentrations and several predictors. The mean 25-(OH)D concentration of women (n 151) was 27·2 ± 14·5 nmol/l, with the majority having insufficient (31·1%) or deficient (<60%) 25-(OH)D status. Only 7% of women achieved sufficient or optimal 25-(OH)D status. In contrast, men (n 52) had a mean 25-(OH)D concentration of 58·3 ± 14·5 nmol/l, with none classified as deficient, and most obtaining sufficient (55·8%) or even optimal 25-(OH)D status (11·5%). Among women, 98% wore a hijab and 74% regularly used sunscreen. Daily dietary vitamin D intake (3-d 24-h recalls) was 45·1 ± 36·1 IU in the total group (no sex differences). After adjustment, multiple linear regression models showed significant associations between 25-(OH)D concentrations and the use of supplements (B = 0·069; P = 0·020) and dietary vitamin D (B = 0·001; P = 0·028). In gender-stratified analysis, the association between supplement use and 25-(OH)D concentrations was significant in women (B = 0·076; P = 0·040). The vitamin D status of women in the present cohort is critical and appears to be mainly due to wearing a hijab, regular use of sunscreen and low dietary vitamin D intake. The vitamin D status of the women should be improved by taking vitamin D containing supplements or fortified foods.

AB - The global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high. Poor vitamin D status, especially in women, has been reported in several countries in the Middle East despite adequate year-round sunlight for vitamin D synthesis. However, data on vitamin D status in Palestine are scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate vitamin D status based on serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25-(OH)D] among young healthy Palestinian students (18-27 years) and to assess associations between 25-(OH)D concentrations and several predictors. The mean 25-(OH)D concentration of women (n 151) was 27·2 ± 14·5 nmol/l, with the majority having insufficient (31·1%) or deficient (<60%) 25-(OH)D status. Only 7% of women achieved sufficient or optimal 25-(OH)D status. In contrast, men (n 52) had a mean 25-(OH)D concentration of 58·3 ± 14·5 nmol/l, with none classified as deficient, and most obtaining sufficient (55·8%) or even optimal 25-(OH)D status (11·5%). Among women, 98% wore a hijab and 74% regularly used sunscreen. Daily dietary vitamin D intake (3-d 24-h recalls) was 45·1 ± 36·1 IU in the total group (no sex differences). After adjustment, multiple linear regression models showed significant associations between 25-(OH)D concentrations and the use of supplements (B = 0·069; P = 0·020) and dietary vitamin D (B = 0·001; P = 0·028). In gender-stratified analysis, the association between supplement use and 25-(OH)D concentrations was significant in women (B = 0·076; P = 0·040). The vitamin D status of women in the present cohort is critical and appears to be mainly due to wearing a hijab, regular use of sunscreen and low dietary vitamin D intake. The vitamin D status of the women should be improved by taking vitamin D containing supplements or fortified foods.

KW - Calcidiol

KW - Middle East

KW - Vitamin D deficiency

KW - Vitamin D status predictors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150351397&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/jns.2023.25

DO - 10.1017/jns.2023.25

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85150351397

VL - 12

JO - Journal of Nutritional Science

JF - Journal of Nutritional Science

SN - 2048-6790

M1 - e38

ER -