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)