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The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency between Saudis and non-Saudis in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah a cross-sectional study

Background Vitamin D, or the “sunshine” hormone became an attractable topic that recently captivates many researchers. The increased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency became an alarming health concern despite the accumulative evidence exploring its crucial role not only in bone metabolism, but also in a variety of pleiotropic functions throughout the various body organs. The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence that might influence vitamin D deficiency among Saudi and non-Saudi nationalities in Almadinah Almunawarh, Saudi Arabia, and to study the different factors that may have an influence in the difference of this prevalence like the marital status, occupation, smoking, sunlight exposure, education, and dietary habits. Methods The study was a cross sectional study done in the medical care unit in Taiba University Almadina Almunawarah in which, 65 healthy male individuals from different nationalities (Saudis and non-Saudis), aged 18 - 65 years were divided into 2 groups, 33 Saudis and 32 non-Saudis. A sociodemographic questionnaire was filled by the study participants and 25-OH vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results Results showed a Significant percentage of the participants in the Saudi group (n = 30, 91%) suffered from deficiency in vitamin D levels [25 (OH) D < 20 ng/ml] 12.57 ± 4.82 (mean ± SD), compared to only 47% (n = 15) in the non-Saudi group [21.56 ± 6.82 (mean ± SD)]. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be significantly higher in the Saudi group than the non-Saudi group with P = 0.001. Conclusion Results showed a significant increase in vitamin D deficiency in Saudi population than the non-Saudis P = 0.001. The occupation status was found to be the only factor positively correlated with vitamin D deficiency.


INTRODUCTION
Majority of the non-Saudi participants were Egyptians (n = 19, 59.40%), followed by the While, the statistical analysis of oily-fish consumption showed that non-Saudi population 189 consumed more significantly than Saudi population did. There was not much difference 190 between the two groups regarding liver intake, but the ingestion of both red meat and 191 fortified food were significantly lower among the Saudi population compared with the 192 non-Saudi.  Saudis were found to be in a higher age group than the Saudis.

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On the contrary, the majority of the Saudi participants were without postgraduate degrees.

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All of them were local and working in their own country, which made it easier for them to  245 The BMI of the Saudis was 28.85 ± 4.55 (mean ± SD), while that of the non-Saudis was 246 27.3 ± 3.27 (mean ± SD). No statistical difference was detected between the two groups.

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The present study has shown that the Saudi population was characterized by higher BMI.     Marital status 287 The results of phase one in the present study have shown that all of the non-Saudi group 288 and most of (75.8%, n = 25) the Saudi group were married (P = 0.003). As described 289 before, the non-Saudi participants were of the higher age group than the Saudi participants. So, not surprisingly, the percentage of married non-Saudis was higher than 291 that of the Saudis.

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This finding could point towards the impact of marital status and social stability on the 293 type of food, which might be healthier and containing a higher content of vitamin D. On 294 the contrary, the unmarried individuals usually consume more fast and junk food that 295 contained very small amounts of the vitamin.

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Education status 297 The results have showed that the education status of the non-Saudi group was significantly  This is because the administrative professions were restricted to the local residents (Saudi 301 nationality) in KSA while the academic professions were mostly occupied by non-Saudis.

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It is elicited in this present study that participants with higher education levels had higher    The dietary habits between the two groups were found to be as follows:  weekly, and 12.5% (n = 4) ingested red meat on a daily basis, as compared to 33.3% (n = 420 11) and 6.1% (n = 2) of the Saudi group who consumed red meat in the same pattern.

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A study has documented the levels of vitamin D 3 in types of meat, which were found to be  487 In phase one, 30 out of 33 participants in the Saudi group (91%) were vitamin D-deficient 488 (calcidiol levels < 20 ng/ml) as compared to 15 out of 32 participants (47%) in the non-

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In terms of the socio-demographic data, occupation status was positively correlated with

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In addition, the cultural clothes used by the male Saudi population which covered the 549 whole body (even their heads and necks) reduced their body surface exposure to sunlight.

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Consequently, their cutaneous vitamin D synthesis was decreased.

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The findings explored in this current study were consistent with one systematic review and