Vitamin D status among adults (18–65 years old) attending primary healthcare centres in Qatar: a cross-sectional analysis of the Electronic Medical Records for the year 2017

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among individuals attending primary healthcare facilities in Qatar and to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency and some medical conditions in persons aged 18–65 years old. SETTING: The study was undertaken in publicly funded primary healthcare services in the State of Qatar. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 102 342 participants aged between 18 and 65 years old with a valid serum vitamin D test result during the year 2017. OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum level <10 ng/mL (<25 nmol/L) was defined as severe vitamin D deficiency, a serum level of <20 ng/mL (<50 nmol/L) was defined as vitamin D deficiency and a serum level <30 ng/mL (<75 nmol/L) defined as vitamin D insufficiency. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of severe vitamin D deficiency was 14.1% among study participants with no history of vitamin D replacement therapy in the previous months. The prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was as high as 71.4% and that of vitamin D insufficiency was up to 92.7%. None of the five chronic conditions explored in the study (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, stroke and cardiovascular disease) had an obvious association with severe vitamin D deficiency status in a bivariate analysis. However, multivariate modelling showed that (adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and nationality and each of the included chronic conditions) hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke placed an individual at a higher risk of having an associated severe vitamin D deficiency status. CONCLUSION: Although not comprehensive and nationally representative, this study is suggestive of a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among young adults, females, Qatari nationality and those with higher body mass index. Multivariate modelling showed that hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke were associated with a higher risk of severe vitamin D deficiency status.