Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Rural Population of the Northern Part of the Persian Gulf

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that vitamin D deficiency has been increased globally since the last two decades. However, the majority of these studies concerned on cities and there is scant information regarding the prevalence of vitamin D in rural areas. The main aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among rural population in Bushehr province which has the longest border with the Persian Gulf. Methods: : The rural inhabitants with ≥25 years old from three mountainous, plain, and seashore areas of Bushehr province were selected through a stratified multi-cluster random sampling method. After obtaining the participants’ demographic and anthropometric data and their past medical history, serum 25- hydroxy vitamin D was measured using ELISA. Results: : A total of 1806 (means±SD, 46.30± 14.22 years old) rural subjects (34.84% males and 64.88%) participated in this study. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and sufficiency were 27.87%, 50.39% and 21.74%, respectively. The deficiency of vitamin D in women was higher than men (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.54, P=0.040). There was a positive significant correlation between age and serum vitamin D levels. Men with vitamin D deficiency had higher BMI (P=0.008); this association was not observed among women (P=0.74). There was no significant difference between the food items consumption frequencies, and vitamin D status (P>0.05). The mountainous, and plain areas had the highest and lowest vitamin D levels, respectively. Conclusion: Although, Bushehr province is located in a sunny part of Iran, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high among its rural population. The shift of their life styles patterns and rapid industrialization in these rural areas may be responsible. Therefore, the enrichment of dietary sources with vitamin D and the use of vitamin D supplements are recommended to tackle the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the rural population of the northern part of the Persian Gulf.