Response regarding the importance of vitamin D and calcium among undergraduate health sciences students in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Vitamin D and calcium are essential dietary components for human body, and their deficiency is linked to poor bone health and osteoporosis. Adequate knowledge of health staff regarding vitamin D and calcium is critical for general population awareness. The current work was to evaluate the awareness regarding the importance of vitamin D and calcium among undergraduate health science students in Al Kharj. Methods A self-distributed validated questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Undergraduate health science students in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University from the College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, and College of Applied Medical Science were included in the study. Students between the age of 18 and 25 years have participated in the study. Results Four hundred fifty-seven undergraduate health science students participated in the study. The vast majority of students knew about the importance of calcium (96.7%) and vitamin D (95.4%), whereas only 89.4% knew about osteoporosis. The participant students reported in their answers that the sources of knowledge were the Internet (42.8%), physicians (41.5%), textbooks (21.2%), teachers (19.1%), family and relatives (18.3%), and/or other sources (6.1%). The overall attitude was poor in about (54%) of the participants showing gender differences regarding sun-exposure duration and supplementation of calcium and vitamin D. Conclusion The study revealed that both male and female undergraduate health science students in Al Kharj were familiar with the importance of vitamin D and calcium; however they reported improper attitude that warrants further health guidance and educational programs.

Students’ ”D”ILEMMA: An Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Toward Vitamin D Among University Students

“…The mean of knowledge score of the participants in this study was 31.3%, which is close to previously reported scores in China (20) and Canada(21) but signi cantly lower than that of undergraduate health science students in Saudi Arabia (22).…”

Knowledge and Attitudes towards Vitamin D among Health Educators in Public Schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In fact, the proportion of those with a good knowledge of vitamin D (45%) among health educators in public schools is considered insufficient in terms of how important it is to communicate such knowledge to students and teachers. However, other studies among different populations, including the general population and university students within Saudi Arabia have reported inconsistent findings [ 23 , 30 , 31 ]. For example, a study that examined the knowledge of vitamin D among the general population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, reported the overall knowledge at approximately 39% [ 23 ], which is lower than the rate reported in our study.…”

“…In contrast, a study conducted among the general population in Al-Baha city, Saudi Arabia, reported that 69.5% of study participants had adequate knowledge of vitamin D [ 30 ]. Similarly, a study conducted among university students in Al-Kharj city, Saudi Arabia, reported that 85% of study participants had a good knowledge of vitamin D [ 31 ]. However, no previous studies have examined the knowledge of and attitude towards vitamin D among health educators in schools in Saudi Arabia.…”

Sex differences in vitamin D metabolism, serum levels and action

“…For example, a cross-sectional study carried out in Saudi Arabia showed that women exhibit a lower general exposure to the sun, although their knowledge about vitamin D importance is greater than in men (P < 0•002) (58) . Moreover, they take vitamin D supplements more frequently than men (59) . Furthermore, baseline characteristics of participants in the Vitamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) in the USA suggest more frequent consumption of foods containing vitamin D by women than men (60) .…”