The prevalence rate of vitamin D insufficiency in a random sample of individuals visiting the orthopedic unit in Al-Diwanyah Teaching Hospital, Iraq

ABSTRACT

Vitamin d deficiency state is a global public health issue that has been linked in addition to bone problems to a number of disordes affecting the cardiovascular syste, the development of neoplastic disords and autoimmune diseases. However, the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency in daily clinical practice in our province in the Mid-Euphrates region of Iraq is poorly defined. The current study was planned and conducted, taking into consideration the aim of estimating a hospital base prevalence rate of vitamin D and relate vitamin D insufficiency state to a number of demographic factors. The current crosssectionalk study was carried out in the orthopedic unit at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital, Mid Euphrates rgion, Iraq. The study included a random sample of 141 individuals from the pool of patientes daily visiting the orthopedic unit. The study started in January 2018 and ended on June 2019. Serum estimation of vitamin D was carried out to all particpants in addition to the inclusion of the fowling variables in the questionnaire form: age gender, residency, occupation, education level, and economic status. The results of the current study revealed that the serum level of vitamin D ranged from 4.80 to 70.00 ng/dl and it averaged 18.57±11.59 ng/dl; its median and inter-quartile range level was 15.83 (14.40) ng/dl. According to a cutoffvalue of < 20 ng/dl defining the vitamin D deficiency status according to some literature, the prevalence rate was 64.5%. Whereas, considering the cutoff value to be < 30 ng/dl, the prevalence rate of vitamin deficiency was 87.9%. Serum vitain D level was not significantly correlated to any of the demographic characteristics included in the study. In view of the available data from the current study and previous reports, vitamin D deficiency is a common health issue in daily clinical practice and strategies ust be adipted by our health institutes to overcome this health problem and associated disorders (AU)