Vitamin D deficiency: knowledge and practices among the adult population in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Summary Research demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with bone diseases (e.g., osteoporosis), muscle cramps, back pain, heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, etc. The lack of knowledge and poor practice of study subjects regarding vitamin D deficiency became evident in this study. Purpose Vitamin D is vital for the growth and development of the body throughout the life span. The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge and the practices related to vitamin D deficiency among the adult population in Sharjah, UAE. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged 20–40 years in Sharjah, UAE. Participants were selected from public places using convenience sampling method. They were subjected to a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20 software. All knowledge-related questions were summed up, where a correct answer was given 1 point and incorrect one a 0, yielding a score out of 43. Subjects’ scores were then transformed to a percentage. Results A total of 503 adults were included in the study. They had a mean age of 30 years (±5.47) with a relatively homogenous gender distribution (51 % females). The mean knowledge score on vitamin D deficiency was 16.7 out of 43 (39 %). Less than half of the respondents (43 %) knew that sunlight is the main source of vitamin D. The mean score for participants’ practice was 2.34 out of 6 (39 %); 77 % of them reported that they tried to avoid sun exposure, and 97 % had not tested vitamin D levels in their blood before. Conclusion The majority of the adults demonstrated significant lack of knowledge and poor practices towards vitamin D and its deficiency. Therefore, attempts to increase the awareness about this issue are required through establishing educational campaigns targeting the general public in Sharjah, UAE.