Frequency of vitamin d deficiency and insufficiency in a Jordanian cohort : a hospital based study

Abstract EN

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the frequency of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in a Jordanian cohort.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of all subjects’ blood samples that were analysed at Princess Iman Centre for Research and Laboratory Sciences at King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman-Jordan, from 1/9/2016 to 28/2/2017.

A total of 3007 subjects were included in the study.

A single 10 ml One blood sample was collected, from each subject, into gel separator (with clot activator) tube.

After samples were allowed to clot, samples were centrifuged at room temperature, and the sera were collected in cap-closed tubes.

Samples were analysed for vitamin D level using the electrochemiluminescence/magnetic particle method by Cobas e411 analyzer (Roche, Japan/Germany), which provides a wide measuring range and excellent low-end sensitivity.

Gender and age groups differences in vitamin D levels were tested and compared using ANOVA test.

Results: Subjects were divided into four categories according to the result of vitamin D as follows: the optimal, adequate, insufficient, and deficient.

1208 (40.17%) subjects were deficient, 833 (27.7%) insufficient, 512 (17.02%) adequate, and 454 (15.11%) were optimal.

In females (total of 2297) optimal vitamin D level were 349 (15.19 %), adequate were 386 (16.80 %), insufficient were 574 (24.98 %), and deficient were 988 (43.01 %).

In males (total of 710) optimal were 105(14.8%), adequate were 126 (17.75%), insufficient 259 (36.48%), and deficient were 220 (30.97%).

Results showed statistically significant differences in vitamin D levels between males and females as well as between children and adults; females had deficiency (43.01%) more than males (30.97%) with a P-value of 0.039, children (41.17%) more than adults (40.05 %) with a P-value of 0.008.

Conclusion: The study showed a high frequency of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in this cohort of patients.

Frequency was higher in females than males as well as in children than adult age group.

Further studies are recommended that correlates patients medical illnesses and Vitamin D supplementation to prevent clinical effects of vitamin D deficiency.