Awareness and Practices Related to Vitamin D in the General Community, Najran, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction:

While the biological factors contributing to vitamin D deficiency are well understood, the sociocultural and behavioral aspects remain less clear. This research seeks to assess the awareness of vitamin D deficiency among the Saudi population.

Methods:

Employing a cross-sectional observational study design, we conducted research among individuals attending primary health care (PHC) in Najran city. Participants were randomly selected from the PHC waiting list using a two-stage stratified systematic sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather data across four domains: sociodemographic factors, awareness, attitudes, and practices related to vitamin D. Respondents achieving less than 60% correct answers were considered to have a low level of awareness, while those scoring ≥ 60% were deemed to have high awareness.

Results:

Among 384 respondents at Primary Health Care (PHC) centers, 59.5% were male. All participants affirmed their familiarity with vitamin D, citing health staff and friends or relatives as the primary sources of information. In terms of the origin of vitamin D, 6% and 48% attributed it to diet or sun exposure, respectively, while 45.7% recognized both as accurate. Gender, education level, nationality, and income did not exhibit significant associations with awareness of vitamin D deficiency (p>0.05). However, there was a noteworthy correlation between the source of information and awareness (p=0.009).

Conclusions:

The study revealed a low level of awareness about vitamin D among attendees at PHC, coupled with a heightened concern about the current state of vitamin D. Participants reported limited exposure to sunlight and low usage of sun protection.