Prevalence and Correlates of Vitamin D Inadequacy in a Sample of Iraqi People.

Background: Vitamin D had been identified as a common metabolic/endocrine abnormality. Middle East countries had a very high rate of vitamin D inadequacy, vitamin D deficiency was associated with non-communicable and infectious diseases. Objective : To identify the prevalence of Vitamin D level and its correlates among Iraqi people in Al-Hilla city-Babylon province Methods :. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of individuals from all age groups and both genders who attended eight primary health care centers and individuals in Al-Hilla city\Babylon province\Iraq, the study period was started from May through October, 2019. A pretested questionnaire was used for data collection, the questionnaire included information regarding socio demographic characteristics of participants and their history of chronic diseases. The following measurements were done: level of serum vitamin D, blood pressure, blood sugar, body weight and weight and the serum of vitamin D. Results: The sample included 188 participants their mean age was 64.8 ± 17.25 years.The female to male ratio 1.7:1, More than half of participants (56%) resident in urban areas. Vitamin D mean level was (20.7 ng/mL ± 14.9 SD). The vast majority (80%) of the sample have vitamin D inadequacy in which (66% have deficiency and 14% have insufficiency), while 37 (20%) of the sample have vitamin D adequacy. A significant inverse relationship between vitamin D serum level and hypertension, type two diabetes mellitus, increase body weight. Conclusion: there was a high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy among Iraqi people mainly in females, a significant association between low vitamin D level and hypertension, type two diabetes mellitus, and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]