Screening depression among vitamin D deficiency patients

Abstract EN

Objectives: This study aim to determine the prevalence of depression among vitamin D deficiency patients.

Methodology: Descriptive cross sectional design was recruited.

Sample of 310 patients selected conveniently from out patient's clinics at Royal Rehabilitation Center.

Data were collected through baseline sample characteristics sheet (age, gender, body mass index BMI, physical activity, presence of chronic disease, previous history of trauma, and vitamin D serum level) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Result: In general, mean score of serum vitamin D was 42.2nmol/L and mean score of depression was 17.7 on Beck Depression Inventory.

Finding revealed that 69.4% of patients have depression varied from mild to severe depression.

Patients who have deficient level of vitamin D (<25nmol/L) were have a higher mean score of depression than those who had insufficient or inadequate level of vitamin D (mean = 28.45, 18.75, and 9.10 respectively).

Moreover, multiple linear regression showed that serum vitamin D was the strongest predictors for depression after adjusting other confounding variables (β= -.752, p< .01).

Conclusion: Findings of our study contribute to the body of literatures that depression is prevalent among patients with low vitamin D.

Further researches are needed to investigate in depth the causality relationship between vitamin D and depression.