Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in east nimar region: An observational study

Author(s): Dr. Harshul Patidar1, Dr. Priyesh Marskole2, Dr. Nisha Kaithwas3, Dr. Sachin Parmar4, Dr. Ranjeet Badole5
1Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa, M.P.
2Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa M.P.
3Assistant Professor, Department Of Psychiatry, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa M.P.
4Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa, M.P.
5Associate Professor, Department of General Medicine, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa M.P.
Copyright © Dr. Harshul Patidar, Dr. Priyesh Marskole, Dr. Nisha Kaithwas, Dr. Sachin Parmar, Dr. Ranjeet Badole. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Vitamin D is a crucial fat-soluble vitamin with various functions. Its deficiency is widespread and affects individuals of all age groups. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in different age groups and genders within the East Nimar region. A total of 236 participants were included, and their Vitamin D levels were measured using a Mindray CL-900i Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer. The results were stratified by age groups and gender. Among the 236 individuals, 47.9% were males and 52.1% were females. The study revealed that 86.4% of the subjects had insufficient or deficient levels of Vitamin D, while only 13.6% had sufficient levels. Specifically, 33.5% of the cases had Vitamin D deficiency, and 57.2% had Vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 51.80% of individuals with higher sun exposure and 75% of those with lower exposure. Among supplement users, 45.2% had Vitamin D deficiency, whereas among non-users, the rate was 69.58%. The findings underscore the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in India. Considering the inadequate dietary intake of Vitamin D in the Indian population, measures such as food fortification, Vitamin D supplementation, and exposure to sunlight (especially in the morning) are crucial to address this issue and prevent the complications associated with Vitamin D deficiency.

Keywords: Fat soluble vitamin; Vitamin D deficiency; East nimar.