PREVALENCE OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH LIFESTYLE FACTORS AMONG ADULTS ATTENDING PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a significant global public health concern, affecting populations across different age groups, geographical regions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite the availability of abundant sunlight in many countries, vitamin D deficiency remains prevalent, suggesting that sunlight availability alone does not guarantee adequate vitamin D status. Lifestyle factors including sunlight exposure, physical activity, dietary habits, and supplement use may influence vitamin D levels directly or indirectly. Primary healthcare centers provide an important setting for investigating vitamin D deficiency because they serve adults with diverse demographic characteristics, health conditions, and lifestyle patterns. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and examine its association with selected lifestyle factors among adults attending primary healthcare centers. Methodology: A descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 adults aged 18 years and older attending selected primary healthcare centers. Participants were recruited using a consecutive sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews, covering sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and lifestyle factors including sunlight exposure, physical activity, dietary habits, and supplement use. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured to assess vitamin D status, with deficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D below 20 ng/mL. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Fisher's exact test where appropriate, with a p-value below 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The study population comprised 400 adults (56.0% female, 44.0% male), with a mean age distribution showing the largest groups aged 18–29 years (23.0%) and 30–39 years (22.8%). Vitamin D deficiency was identified in 281 participants, corresponding to a prevalence of 70.3% (95% CI: 65.8–74.8%). Dietary vitamin D intake showed a statistically significant association with vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.012), with deficiency prevalence of 75.1% among those reporting low consumption compared to 62.9% among those with moderate/high consumption. Although numerically higher deficiency prevalence was observed among females (73.2% versus 66.5%, p = 0.176), participants with lower education (76.0% versus 64.2%, p = 0.062), those with obesity (75.7% versus 62.4%, p = 0.077), indoor workers (73.8% versus 64.3%, p = 0.220), and those with less than 15 minutes of daily sunlight exposure (73.1%, p = 0.518), these associations did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (70.3%) among adults attending primary healthcare centers. Dietary vitamin D intake was the only lifestyle factor showing a statistically significant association with vitamin D deficiency. These findings highlight the need for targeted preventive interventions, including dietary counseling and health education programs promoting adequate vitamin D intake, among adults attending primary healthcare centers.