Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency Among University Students: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and the Association Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Episodes of Respiratory Tract Infections

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and insufficiency (VDI) is a public health problem worldwide. Low blood levels of vitamin D have been associated with many illnesses, including respiratory tract infections (RTIs). This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of VDD and VDI among university students, assess the correlation with demographic and anthropometric factors, and determine the effect of VDD on the respiratory tract infection (RTI) incidence. Methods: A cross-sectional and prospective design was used. Our sample consisted of 287 students aged 18-24 years from the University of Sharjah-UAE. Participants were tested for serum 25(hydroxyvitamin)D levels, Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and the survey was completed. The association between VDD, VDI with the participant's characteristics, and the incidents of RTIs were examined. Results: VDD and VDI were highly prevalent among 85% of the students. The median serum 25(OH) D level was 15.8 ng/dl (19.5±11.6). The mean BMI was (24.32±6.3) kg/m. The results showed a significant positive correlation between VDI and VDD with gender and students who were previously diagnosed with VDD (P < 0.05); however, they were not statistically significant (P < 0.05) with other factors. The tonsillitis incidents were significantly associated with VDD (P = 0.027), while no significant correlation with other incidences of RTIs was found. Conclusion: VDD and VDI represent a significant problem across the university students specifically with the female gender. VDD is associated with tonsillitis infection incidence. Both the health and higher education authorities' attention is needed, exploring the causes of VDD and VDI, regular 25(OH)D serum level examination, and educational programs on VDD risks are required.

A Case Study of Vitamin D Supplementation Therapy and Acute Respiratory Tract Infection

“…A recent research study conducted by Saeed et al , thoroughly reviewed and analyzed the impact of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory tract infections. The findings revealed that individuals who were vitamin D deficient and took vitamin D supplements had a reduced likelihood of developing ARTIs (36). However, the study did not investigate how ARTIs affect vitamin D levels.…”

Retrospective Analysis of Vitamin D Deficiency in an Adult Population of Arad County, Western Romania (2019–2022)

“…A possible explanation is that young adults tend to have lower consumption of vitamin D-containing foods such as fortified cereals and oily fish [55], also due to the seasonal variation in sunlight exposure, especially during the winter [54]. Besides dietary intake and sun exposure habits, young adults aged 18-29 often spend increased time indoors due to their attendance in college or graduate school, contributing to a greater prevalence of vitamin D deficiency within this demographic, as documented by multiple studies [56][57][58].…”

Frequency of Vitamin D deficiency in children with recurrent chest infections.

“…Vitamin D deficiency 2 linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of RTIs. 7 Children with recurrent chest infections had an 84.6% prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency, per the Chandrashekhara T, et alstudy. 8 Vitamin D deficiency is more common in infants who are exclusively breastfed, preterm infants, newborns who do not receive vitamin D supplements, and kids from lower socioeconomic families.…”