Prince Sultan University, General Courses Department, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Rheum Dis. 2011 Aug;14(3):e22-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-185X.2011.01624.x. Epub 2011 Jul 5.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes type 1 and 2. It is currently estimated that one billion people suffer from vitamin D deficiency worldwide. A major cause is lack of sun exposure, and this is evident even in countries at mid and low latitudes. Although a high prevalence has been found in Saudi Arabia, little is known to date about the reasons for this and, consequently about, reduction methodologies. The study's aim was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards vitamin D deficiency, sun exposure, supplementation and fortification in a sample of female Saudi Arabian students.
A focus group and eight in depth one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.
Participants were limited in their knowledge about vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency. They reported limited sun exposure due to intense heat, cultural reasons for covering the body, and an infrastructure that makes sun exposure difficult.
Important barriers for the prevention of vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia were highlighted. Recommendations for more research in specific areas including the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and recommended daily allowances of supplementation are made. Governmental actions including increasing awareness of the importance of vitamin D and guidelines on how to obtain it are necessary. Creating areas where women, particularly those of lower socio-economic status, can enjoy sun exposure as well as fortifying more foods would go some way towards tackling this problem.
维生素 D 缺乏与许多慢性疾病有关，包括癌症、心脏病以及 1 型和 2 型糖尿病。目前估计，全世界有 10 亿人患有维生素 D 缺乏症。缺乏阳光照射是一个主要原因，即使在中低纬度国家也是如此。尽管在沙特阿拉伯发现了高患病率，但目前对于导致这种情况的原因以及相应的减少方法知之甚少。本研究旨在调查沙特阿拉伯女性学生对维生素 D 缺乏症、阳光暴露、补充剂和强化剂的知识、态度和实践（KAP）。
采用焦点小组和 8 个深入的一对一半结构式访谈进行研究，并采用主题分析进行分析。
参与者对维生素 D 和维生素 D 缺乏症的知识有限。他们报告说，由于高温、身体覆盖的文化原因以及基础设施使阳光暴露变得困难，他们的阳光暴露有限。
突出了预防沙特阿拉伯维生素 D 缺乏症的重要障碍。建议在特定领域进行更多研究，包括维生素 D 缺乏症的患病率和推荐的每日补充量。政府需要采取行动，包括提高对维生素 D 重要性的认识以及关于如何获取维生素 D 的指南。创建妇女，特别是社会经济地位较低的妇女可以享受阳光照射的区域，以及强化更多食物，将有助于解决这个问题。
