Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the awareness, attitude, and practices regarding the vitamin D, ferritin, and zinc deficiencies and their association with hair loss among residents of the Makkah region, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 584 participants using a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, awareness, attitude, and practices related to vitamin D, zinc, and ferritin deficiencies. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data and identify predictors of knowledge, attitude, and practices.
Results: Most participants were females (73.5%) and aged 18–25 years (58.4%). Almost all participants had heard of vitamin D, zinc, or ferritin stores (97.4%) and recognized their health benefits (95.0%) and causes of deficiency (95.5%). Additionally, 84.1% recognized the relationship between nutritional deficiencies and hair loss. Doctors were the main source of information (63.4%). Although 56.5% usually consumed nutrient-rich foods, 77.7% reported less than 20 minutes of daily sunlight exposure. Awareness significantly predicted knowledge scores (B = 1.146, p < 0.001), while gender significantly predicted attitude (B = 0.966, p < 0.001) and practices (B = −0.159, p = 0.048).
Conclusion: Participants demonstrated high awareness, but inadequate sunlight exposure and some misconceptions persisted. Healthcare professionals should promote nutritional education and healthier preventive practices.

Key words: Hair loss, vitamin D deficiency, zinc deficiency, ferritin deficiency, Saudi Arabia