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Community-based social and demographic assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices and medical conditions related to vitamin D deficiency in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2021

Sajida Maryam ,
Saman Saba ,
Waseem Haider ,
Muhmmad Sohail Afzal ,
Saiqa Mukhtar ,
Anna Durrance-Bagale ,
Raja Zoq ul Arfeen ,
Nazneen Bangash ,
Naseer Ali Shah  and
Haroon Ahmed Open the ORCID record for Haroon Ahmed [Opens in a new window]
Sajida Maryam
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Saman Saba
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Waseem Haider
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Muhmmad Sohail Afzal
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management & Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan
Saiqa Mukhtar
Affiliation:
Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Anna Durrance-Bagale
Affiliation:
Faculty of Public Health & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Raja Zoq ul Arfeen
Affiliation:
School of Food & Agricultural Sciences, University of Management & Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan
Nazneen Bangash
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Naseer Ali Shah
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Haroon Ahmed*
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of various diseases. Gilgit Baltistan, the northern-most area of Pakistan, has a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, despite many nutritional and food safety programmes. The present study aimed to find how knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with vitamin D related to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people residing in different areas of Gilgit Baltistan. The cross-sectional study was descriptive and used data from a survey carried out between February 2019 and December 2020 on individuals of both sexes aged 10 years or over in Gilgit Baltistan. Of the 575 survey participants, 306 (53.2%) had experienced signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, i.e. tiredness, fatigue and bone weakness. Approximately 64.8% had some general knowledge of vitamin D and its relation to health. Participants aged 19–25 years had the highest scores on knowledge of vitamin D. Only 22.7% of interviewees had ever taken any supplements and only 25.6% often exposed themselves to sunlight. Females’ mean knowledge score (28.7; SD 7.02) was higher than that of males (24; SD 9.01). A lack of consistency was observed between attitude towards daylight exposure and knowledge of vitamin D. There was a large correlation between knowledge and attitude (p = 0.001), while a non-significant association was demonstrated between knowledge and practices (p = 0.1). Better knowledge, attitude and practices by people living in cities or more-developed regions indicates that education can be an effective way to provide awareness regarding micronutrient deficiencies. More emphasis is needed on enhancing knowledge, awareness and practices associated with vitamin D deficiency in rural areas of Pakistan. It is strongly recommended that an awareness campaign on micronutrients is launched in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, concentrating on poor socioeconomic settings.

Keywords

Vitamin DKnowledgePakistan
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 54 , Issue 6 , November 2022 , pp. 1100 - 1124
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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