Prevalence and Risk Factors of Vitamin D Deficiency in Rural Population

Introduction: Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth, mineralization, and various metabolic processes in the body. Consequently, a deficiency or insufficiency of this vitamin can lead to long-term consequences, especially in children. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in rural children. Methods: This was an observational study and was conducted in the Department of Pediatric in Santhia Upazila Health Complex, Pabna, Bangladesh during the period from January 2022 to July 2022. In total 100 children presenting with symptoms of vitamin D deficiency who visited the pediatrics department at our institution. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) Version 23 for windows 10. Result: Participants were categorized into four age groups: infants (up to 1 year), children (2–5 years), prepubertal (6–11 years), and adolescents (12–16 years), with a mean age of 12.84 ± 3.98 years. Most children (60%) were female, and 70% had less than 30 minutes of daily sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) was most prevalent in children aged 12-16 years (61.76%), followed by 2-5 years (60%) and 6-11 years (47.62%). Deficiency was also observed in 50% of infants up to 1 year old. Children with insufficient vitamin D (10-29 ng/ml) had intermediate height (124.81 cm) and weight (26.12 kg), while those with deficiency had the lowest height (104.62 cm) and weight (22.57 kg). Conclusion: This study shows that vitamin D deficiency is high among our study children. A comprehensive action plan, including supplementation and food fortification, is crucial to prevent this deficiency in Bangladesh.