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High prevalence of low serum 25‐OH vitamin D concentrations in women of child‐bearing age in Jordan during summer
Author(s) -
Gharaibeh Muna A.,
Stoecker Barbara J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.149.2
Subject(s) - vitamin d and neurology , medicine , multivitamin , sunlight , vitamin , body mass index , zoology , biology , physics , astronomy
Serum 25‐(OH) Vitamin D [25(OH)D] was assessed in 93 women of child bearing age in Jordan in July 2007. Mean age (SD) was 34.0 (6.0) and body mass index (BMI) was 29.6 (15.2) with 77% of women having BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Mean concentration of 25(OH)D was 25.6 (9.6) nmol/L. Only two women (2.2%) had 25(OH)D concentrations less than 12.5 nmol/L but 71 (76.3%) of the women had values between 12.5 and 30 nmol/L. Twenty‐one percent of the women had 25(OH)D concentrations between 30 and 75 nmol/L but no women had values above 75 nmol/L. In this sample, 86% of the women wore clothing that exposed only their face and hands, but dress style had no significant effect on 25(OH)D concentrations. The women reported a mean of 5.3 (4.6) hours of sun exposure per week. Tendency to avoid sun exposure varied between women: 13.9% (n=13) reported they always avoided sun exposure and 69.9% (n=65) never avoided the sun but reported sunlight exposure was not significantly correlated with 25(OH)D. Liver consumption varied among women: 43% (n=40) never or rarely consumed liver. Milk consumption was low and most of the milk consumed in Jordan is not fortified with vitamin D. Only 7 women reported taking multivitamin supplements that might include vitamin D, and 82.8% of women did not take any type of supplementation. Despite the abundant sunlight in Jordan during summer, vitamin D inadequacy was highly prevalent in women of child‐bearing age. (Supported by Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK)