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Background: The main sources of vitamin D are sun exposure and diet. There is a gap in our knowledge about the contribution of these factors to vitamin D level among couples in Bahrain. Objective: To determine vitamin D dietary intake and sun exposure and their impact on vitamin D level. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Maternity hospitals. Method: Data were collected using an adapted pre-validated food frequency questionnaire. It was adjusted to reflect the local food items. Vitamin D intake below 600 IU was considered low. The level was assayed as 25(OH)D using chemiluminescence method. SPSS-20 was used for data analysis. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Result: Three hundred and twenty five couples were included in the study. The mean dietary intake of vitamin D was low, but not significantly different between men and women. Vitamin D level was <50 nmol/L in 209 (64.3%) men and 292 (89.8%) women. The mean 25(OH)D level in males (46.06 ± 12.97 nmol/L) was significantly higher than females (33.12 ± 13.48 nmol/L). There was a significant association between dietary intake and 25(OH)D levels in both men and women. Sun exposure was also found to be significantly associated with 25(OH)D level in males but not in females which is attributed to the use of veil. Conclusion: Low vitamin D intake and inadequate sun exposure lead to hypovitaminosis D. There is a need to increase awareness and mandate the fortification of milk, dairy products and to supplement veiled women and those at risk of deficiency with vitamin D.

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Background & Objectives: Bahrain is reported to rank amongst the top 10 countries for diabetes prevalence worldwide. In particular, growing numbers of children are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).The objective of this study was to describe the dietary intake of Bahraini children with T1DM as compared to a sample of healthy counterparts and to determine whether the nutrient intakes of Bahraini children with T1DM meet the current recommendations. Design & Setting: This was a case-control study. Dietary intake, estimated using a24-hour dietary recall, for the cases was gathered from the Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Unit at the Salmaniya Medical Complex and compared to the 24-hour recalls of children without diabetes recruited from Local Health Centers. Patients & Methods: 50 children aged 6-12 years receiving a confirmed diagnosis of T1DM in the years 2009 and 2010 compared with 55 healthy comparators. Results: Children with T1DM consumed significantly more calories than controls (p<0.001) and significantly more protein relative to their RDA (p<0.029). Both groups failed to meet the RDA values for dietary fiber and for Vitamin D. Sodium intakes were in excess of RDA values although no significant difference was observed between groups (p=0.403). Conclusion: The diets of both children with and without T1DM were found to contain excess protein and sodium and inadequate fiber, vitamin D and calcium. Children with T1DM also appeared to consume excess energy and fat. There is a need to endorse existing dietary guidelines for children with T1DM.