Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Iraqi People

Abstract

Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency is one of common health problems and it is found in all ethnicities and all age groups, even in countries that have sun exposure all seasons of the year. Materials and Methods: 600 healthy persons aged 3–65 years were participating in this study. All subjects were lived in Baghdad, Iraq. The subjects were divided into four groups according to age and gender. First group adult male 18-65 year contains 200 participate, second group adult female 18-65 year contains 200 participate, third group children male 3-18 year contains 100 participate and fourth group children female 3-18 year contains 100 participate. venous blood samples were used to measured 25-hydroxy (25(OH) D) levels with cobas techniques method. Results: The results showed that  the vitamin D deficiency (serum 25OHD level < 20 ng/ml)  is prevalence in 77% of the adult male and the mean value is 12.4 ng/ ml, and the ratio of deficiency is higher in female and reach to 87% of adult women and the mean value is 7.4 ng/ ml. Whereas the vitamin D deficiency in children is lower than adult and the results showed that the 23% of male children have deficiency with mean value 20.7 ng/ml also the female children have deficiency in 22% of them with mean value 20.4 mg/ml. The results showed there is significant differences between men and women in mean value of the serum 25OHD (12.4 vs 7.4 P> 0.01), while there are non-significant differences between children male and children female (20.7 vs 20.4 P> 0.01).  Also the results showed there are significant difference between children male and adult male (20.7 vs 12.4 P> 0.01) and there are significant differences between children female and adult female (20.4 vs7.4 P>0.01) Conclusion: the deficiency of vitamin D in Baghdad, Iraq is very high in adult male and female and there is a need general education, health policies for investigation and treatment this problem.