Vitamin D Intake and Other Risk Factors for Vitamin D Insufficiency in Middle Eastern People Living in the UK: A Comparison of Cultural and Ethnic Groups

Abstract

A questionnaire was designed to obtain information about factors affecting vitamin D status in Middle Eastern people living in the UK. A total of 242 questionnaires were returned out of 350 distributed. A total of 85% of the sample was estimated to have a low vitamin D intake (< 5 μg/d). Other risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency included covering skin from sunlight (62% men and 84% women); low use of vitamin D containing supplements (18.5%) and being overweight or obese (49% men and 44% women). Vitamin D intake was lowest in the Kurdish ethnic group (2.18 μg/d) and in those with primary (1.83 μg/d) and secondary school (2.14 μg/d) level education compared to higher education (3.0–3.59 μg/d). Vitamin D intake was highest in those aged 40–49 years (4.0 μg/d), those born in the Levant (4.29 μg/d), and in those who were obese (3.60 μg/d).

Keywords:

• vitamin D insufficiency
• food intake
• Middle East
• obesity

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The present study was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Iraq. We would like to thank all the participants who took part in this study for their cooperation and time.