Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalence in Pakistan: Common, Important, and Neglected: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Vitamin D is crucial for normal body metabolism. Two important vitamin D sources are synthesis in the lower layers of the skin (90%) and diet (10%). This systematic review and meta-analysis attempted to determine the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in Pakistan by using the findings of numerous cross-sectional studies. For subgroup analysis, a population-based subgroup analysis and a geographical location-based subgroup analysis were done. Different search techniques were utilized on various databases using the terms “vitamin D deficiency,” “Pakistan,” and “prevalence.” The article names and abstracts were scrutinized, and associated complete texts were evaluated. The articles that satisfied the inclusion requirements were chosen for the meta-analysis. The I 2 test was used to determine heterogeneity. They were combined with the random-effect method. Out of 429 articles, 37 studies, with a total sample size of 19,338, were selected for the final analysis. The highest and lowest reported percentages observed were 100% and 15%, respectively. The overall pooled prevalence reported was 78% (95% CI = 74.2–82%). In subgroup analysis, children/adolescents showed a higher pooled prevalence of 84% (95% CI = 76.1–93.6%), and among province-wise subgroup analysis, Punjab province has shown a higher pooled prevalence of 84% (95% CI: 74–94%). Meta-analysis of the data showed a higher proportion of the population with deficient states. Interventions in public health are essential to address the high incidence of vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D levels can be increased, and related health concerns can be minimized through dietary supplementation, recommended sun exposure, and awareness initiatives.