Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management & Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan.
J Biosoc Sci. 2022 Nov;54(6):1100-1124. doi: 10.1017/S002193202100050X. Epub 2021 Nov 2.
Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of various diseases. Gilgit Baltistan, the northern-most area of Pakistan, has a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, despite many nutritional and food safety programmes. The present study aimed to find how knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with vitamin D related to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people residing in different areas of Gilgit Baltistan. The cross-sectional study was descriptive and used data from a survey carried out between February 2019 and December 2020 on individuals of both sexes aged 10 years or over in Gilgit Baltistan. Of the 575 survey participants, 306 (53.2%) had experienced signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, i.e. tiredness, fatigue and bone weakness. Approximately 64.8% had some general knowledge of vitamin D and its relation to health. Participants aged 19-25 years had the highest scores on knowledge of vitamin D. Only 22.7% of interviewees had ever taken any supplements and only 25.6% often exposed themselves to sunlight. Females' mean knowledge score (28.7; SD 7.02) was higher than that of males (24; SD 9.01). A lack of consistency was observed between attitude towards daylight exposure and knowledge of vitamin D. There was a large correlation between knowledge and attitude ( = 0.001), while a non-significant association was demonstrated between knowledge and practices ( = 0.1). Better knowledge, attitude and practices by people living in cities or more-developed regions indicates that education can be an effective way to provide awareness regarding micronutrient deficiencies. More emphasis is needed on enhancing knowledge, awareness and practices associated with vitamin D deficiency in rural areas of Pakistan. It is strongly recommended that an awareness campaign on micronutrients is launched in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, concentrating on poor socioeconomic settings.
维生素 D 是骨骼健康的重要营养素，维生素 D 缺乏会增加各种疾病的风险。巴基斯坦最北部的吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦地区，尽管有许多营养和食品安全计划，但维生素 D 缺乏症的发病率很高。本研究旨在探讨与维生素 D 相关的知识、态度和实践与吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦不同地区人群维生素 D 缺乏症患病率之间的关系。这项横断面研究是描述性的，使用了 2019 年 2 月至 2020 年 12 月期间在吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦进行的一项调查的数据，该调查对象为年龄在 10 岁及以上的男女。在 575 名调查参与者中，有 306 人（53.2%）经历过维生素 D 缺乏的症状和体征，即疲倦、疲劳和骨骼脆弱。约 64.8%的人对维生素 D 及其与健康的关系有一定的了解。年龄在 19-25 岁的参与者在维生素 D 知识方面得分最高。只有 22.7%的受访者曾服用过任何补充剂，只有 25.6%的受访者经常晒太阳。女性的平均知识得分（28.7；SD 7.02）高于男性（24；SD 9.01）。人们对日光照射的态度与维生素 D 知识之间存在不一致。知识和态度之间存在很大的相关性（=0.001），而知识和实践之间没有显著的相关性（=0.1）。生活在城市或更发达地区的人有更好的知识、态度和实践，这表明教育可以是一种有效途径，让人们了解微量元素缺乏症。在巴基斯坦农村地区，需要更加重视提高与维生素 D 缺乏相关的知识、意识和实践。强烈建议在巴基斯坦农村和城市地区开展关于微量营养素的宣传活动，重点关注贫困的社会经济环境。
