**11. Conclusion**

*Vitamin D Deficiency*

**Status of women Prevalence of** 

**VDD [25(OH)D] <50 nmol/L** **Age group (years)**

Premenopausal 80.5% 20–40 Tabuk 2018 [24]

Postmenopausal 85% 50–79 Jeddah 2011 [29]

86.2% >60 Riyadh 2006–

64.2% 20–40 Al Khafji 2011 [33] 50% 20–49 Riyadh 2010 [34]

**City of Saudi Arabia**

62% >21 Riyadh 2017 [25] 67.8% 19–25 Tabuk 2016 [26] 74.8% 18–50 Riyadh 2015 [27] 100% 19–40 Riyadh 2012 [28] 78.2% 20–50 Jeddah 2011 [29] 99.03% 18–22 Dammam 2009 [30] 41.2% ≥18 Riyadh 2008 [23]

**Year of study**

**Ref.**

**Subjects Prevalence of** 

**VDD [25(OH)D] <50 nmol/L**

*Prevalence reports on vitamin D deficiency in Saudi healthy women.*

*To convert (nmol/L) into (ng/ml), divide the value by 2.496.*

92.5% girls 79.3% boys

97.8% girls 92.8% boys

62.65% girls 40.6% boys

*To convert (nmol/L) into (ng/ml), divide the value by 2.496.*

**Age group (years)**

Pregnant women 88% >16 Riyadh 2011–

Men 66.7% 20–40 Tabuk 2018 [24]

Newborns 90% Neonates Riyadh 2013 [38]

*Prevalence reports on vitamin D deficiency in healthy men, newborns, children, and adolescents living in* 

88% Neonates Riyadh 2011–

63% 1–6 Makkah 2015 [39]

6–15 Western, central, and

86.27% 4–15 Jeddah 2010 [42]

13–17 Riyadh 2015 [27]

≤15 Different regions 2013 [41]

eastern regions (8 provinces)

59% >21 Riyadh 2017 [25] 74.4% 18–50 Riyadh 2015 [27] 92% 20–23 Riyadh 2013 [35] 87.8% 20–74 Jeddah 2012 [36] 92.6% 18–22 Dammam 2009 [30] 32.5% ≥25 Eastern Province 2009 [37]

**City of Saudi Arabia Year of** 

**study**

2011

2012

2012

2013– 2014

**Ref.**

[31]

[32]

[32]

[40]

**8**

**Table 2.**

*Saudi Arabia.*

Children and adolescents

**Table 1.**

In conclusion, this chapter summarizes that vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone and has skeletal and extra-skeletal functions. The main sources of vitamin D are sun exposure and diet. Two common types of vitamin D are vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamins D2 or D3 must be activated to produce its effects in a multi-step process. Vitamin D status is determined by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]; the value lower than 50 nmol/L (30 ng/mL) contributes to vitamin D deficiency. Severe vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia in adults, rickets in children, and an increased risk of fractures.

Like other countries in the world, Saudi Arabia suffers from vitamin D deficiency. This chapter illustrates the terrible deficiency of vitamin D for the Saudi population for both genders and for different age groups.

To improve the status of vitamin D deficiency, distinct strategies should be applied to raise the vitamin D stored as a routine measurement through sunlight exposure by increasing daily outdoor activity. Moreover, nutritionists should emphasize increased dairy intake, vitamin D supplementation, calcium supplementation, and vitamin D-fortified foods. Finally, effective educational programs are needed at the Saudi national level to raise public awareness of the serious vitamin D deficiency problem.

*Vitamin D Deficiency*
