Background: Vitamin D (VID) is of great importance for a healthy life. VID deficiency is associated with major problems such as type-1 diabetes mellitus, depression, and longstanding pain in the bones and muscles and may cause rickets in infancy. This is a cross-sectional study, aimed at assessing the level of public awareness and knowledge of VID and its de ficiency.
Methodology: The electronic questionnaires were used to collect the data. This study recruited 790 participants. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.
Results: After analyzing the results of different age groups participated,it was found that 66.3% (n = 524) of participants(male-to-female ratio: 53.2% vs. 77.6%, p < 0.001) agreed that VID is important for the pregnant and lactating women. About 81.5% of participants (n = 644) (male-to-female ratio: 69.3% vs. 92.0%, p < 0.001) had the essential knowledge about the importance of VID for the growth of children. About 100% of participants (n = 790) agreed that VID is important for the health of the bones and teeth. Sources of knowledge regarding VID importance were schools (46.2%, n = 365), internet (40%, n = 316), social media (27.3%, n = 216), awareness campaigns in public places (19.1%, n = 151), specialized clinics (11.9%, n = 94) and televisions (8.4%, n = 66). The most important means to raise awareness regarding VID were social media (78.2%, n = 618), schools (65.7%, n = 519), awareness campaigns in public places (55.3%, n = 437), internet (51%, n = 403), television (32.4%), and specialized clinics (28.4%, n = 224). Knowledge about the importance of VID for pregnant and lactating women was higher in participants working in healthcare fields (72.4%, n = 252) than in those working in different nonhealth specialties (61.5%, n = 272).
Conclusion: This study revealed that there is a good level of public awareness regarding VID in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. Health clinics need to exert more efforts for public health awareness as social media and the internet dominate on their roles.
Key words: Vitamin D, deficiency, awareness, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
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