Knowledge on Vitamin D Deficiency among Antenatal Women in a View to Prepare Information Guide Sheet

Abstract Vitamin D is essential to maintain bone health, playing a key role in bone mineralization. Severe vitamin D deficiency in children results in rickets. As stores of vitamin D in newborns are dependent on maternal vitamin D status, vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy leads to infant vitamin D deficiency and thus increases risk of rickets. Objectives : To assess the knowledge regarding Vitamin D deficiency and to find the association of knowledge score and demographic variables. Materials and Methods : A descriptive approach was adopted for this study. The study was conducted in OBG outpatient department of tertiary Hospital at Mangaluru. The study sample was 100 antenatal women. A knowledge questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding knowledge on vitamin D deficiency. Result : In this study 65% of antenatal women had average knowledge, 34% antenatal women had poor knowledge and single antenatal women had good knowledge on vitamin D deficiency. The knowledge in the area of complication to the fetus was 38%, knowledge in the other areas were daily requirements 56%, prevention 52% and signs and symptoms 48%. Interpretation and conclusion : After conducting the study the result showed that, majority of the antenatal women had average knowledge regarding vitamin D deficiency. For further improvement of the knowledge, antenatal women were provided with an information guide sheet (pamphlet).