Vitamin D Status among Bangladeshi Adult Muslim Females Having Diabetes and Using Hijab

Background: This study was done to evaluate vitamin D level and status among Bangladeshi muslim women and to see association between vitamin D level and residence status, sunlight exposure, glycemic status, using hijab with exposed face and hands. Methods: This cross-section observational study was conducted during January 2015 to July 2017 among 353 Bangladeshi non-pregnant muslim female subjects aged e” 18 years who attended an urban endocrine clinic with complaints of myalgia, fatigability, muscle cramp etc. Subjects who were on vitamin D supplement/ treatment, suffering from mal-absorption syndrome, hepatic impairment, renal impairments, severe co-morbid conditions were excluded. Diabetic subjects were selected as per clinical history, HbA1c%, OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) criteria or who already were receiving treatment for diabetes. Data were collected by face-toface interview and medical documents review and vitamin D level was tested with standard laboratory procedure. Subjects were enquired about using hijab with exposed face and hands with duration of years. Vitamin D status was defined as “deficient” with level of serum 25 (OH) vit D d”20 ng/ml, “insufficient” with level from 20.01 to 29.9 ng/ml and “sufficient” with level from 30 to 100 ng/ml. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS for Windows version 20. The significance was tested by using un-paired T test and Chi-square test. Results: A total of 353 Bangladeshi muslim female were studied. Among them 332 (94.1%) were urban dwellers. Mean age was 40.66 ±13.80 years, mean vitamin D level was 17.27±7.47 ng/ml, while 71.67% subjects were vitamin D deficient and 22.66% subjects were insufficient. Residence status (urban and rural) showed no significant association with vitamin D level and status [p 0.074 and p 0.28 respectively]. Vitamin D insufficient subjects were more aged than deficient subjects [p 0.01]. Vitamin D level was not significantly different in regard to difference in sunlight exposure [p 0.70]. Diabetic (46.2%) and non-diabetic (53.8%) subjects had similar residence status [p 0.824]. Diabetic subjects were more aged than non-diabetic subjects [p 0.001] and vitamin D level was not significantly different among them [p 0.126 and p 0.28 respectively]. Among studied subjects 32.9% (n=116), mostly urban dwellers, never used hijab and they had mean vitamin D level as 17.04±7.77 ng/ml, while 30.3% (n=107) subjects used hijab more than 15 years with exposed face and hands and they had mean vitamin D level as 18.52±8.07 ng/ml. Difference of vitamin D levels and vitamin D were not